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Weekend Round-up of Irish Performances

Submitted by Maglin Lodge on Mon, 27/07/2009 - 12:47

Irish riders racked up significant gains on the international circuit this weekend, with a third place in The British Nations' Cup at Hickstead pulling the senior show jumping team up to a safe sixth position in the ten-team Meydan FEI Series for 2009.

Points gained by Ireland's line-up of Cameron Hanley, Shane Sweetnam, Cian O'Connor and Billy Twomey also ensured that Ireland could not be relegated from the elite series for 2010, no matter what result was achieved in the Dublin Aga Khan competition in August.

Also at Hickstead, a seventh place in the Dressage Grand Prix gave Ireland's Yvette Truesdale a ticket to the European Dressage Championships at Windsor next month, as well as qualification for the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky in 2010.

Back at home, Alex Butler won the show jumping Grand Prix at the two-star international event at Tattersall's, Co. Meath on Saturday with 'Will Wimble', while at the same venue Lt. Michael Kelly won the HSI Irish Studbook Grand Final for 6/7 Year-Old Horses on the Minister for Defence's 'Major Chance'. On Sunday the 5 Year-Old Grand Final went to Edward Doyle and 'Castellar'.

Despite a disappointing Irish showing in the team event, the European Championship for Children on Horses at Moorsele in Belgium saw 13 year-old Kelly Taggart from Fermanagh finish 10th individually with 'Illinoise de Cabdula'. Horse Sport Ireland's High Performance Coach Ian Fearon said afterwards: "I'm very proud of all the kids here this weekend, and they all performed well. It was a very tough competition and I believe the experience gained here today will serve us well in future championships. Kelly Taggart did extremely well against a top class field, and she also won the Best Girl Rider Of The Show Award."