21th October 2021 - Flipbook - Page 95
HORSEWEEK
FARMWEEK
DECEMBER 02 2021
95
Irish equestrian stars honoured at
Horse Sport Ireland athlete reception
H
ORSE Sport
Ireland
(HSI), the
governing
body for
equestrian sport in
Ireland, hosted an
athlete reception at
Killashee Hotel in
County Kildare last
Tuesday (November
23), to honour the
outstanding sporting
achievements of
Irish equestrian
athletes this year.
Despite the
ongoing challenges
posed by the
COVID-19 global
pandemic, Irish
equestrian youth
athletes claimed
no less than
five team and
individual European
Championship
medals this year.
Ireland was also
represented by
teams and individual
athletes at the
Tokyo Olympics and
Paralympics.
In his opening
speech, Horse
Sport Ireland Acting
CEO Joe Reynolds
welcomed those
who had gathered
to celebrate and
recognise the
achievements of
Ireland’s equestrian
teams and individual
athletes during
YOUTH MEDALLISTS: Horse Sport Ireland Acting CEO Joe Reynolds
(centre), pictured with Ireland’s two European individual youth
medallists, (left) Ben Connors, U16 eventing individual silver and
SHOW JUMPING TEAM: Members of the silver medal-winning U21 GAIN Equine Nutritionteam bronze medallist and (right) Kris Rohrssen, U14 carriage driving
sponsored show jumping team, from left, Sean Monaghan, Acting Chef d’Equipe Liam Buckley,
individual gold medallist (FW48-510NN)
PICTURES: courtesy of Seb Daly, Sportsfile team manager James Kernan and Kayleigh Soden. (FW48-511NN)
2021. He thanked
the owners of all
the horses, who
represented Ireland
during the year and
also thanked the
team sponsors and
Sport Ireland for
their support and
contribution to HSI’s
High-Performance
Programmes.
Ireland’s
youth athletes
were presented
with specially
commissioned
equestrian-themed
pieces of art at the
HSI medal reception
for their incredible
achievements.
In August, Kris
Rohrssen and his
pony ‘Checkmate’
produced a stunning
performance at the
FEI European Under
14 Carriage Driving
Championships in
Selestat, France to
take home individual
gold - the first ever
Irish gold medal
win at this level in
Carriage Driving.
Kris was managed
by his father Folke at
OLYMPIAN: Irish Olympian Cian O’Connor (left), pictured with HSI Acting
CEO Joe Reynolds at the 2021 Horse Sport Ireland athlete reception.
(FW48-513NN)
the Championships
and was supported
by the HighPerformance
Carriage Driving
Committee,
who were both
recognised at the
reception and
received gifts as
a token of HSI’s
appreciation.
An amazing
performance from
Ben Connors and
the Connemara
pony stallion
‘Cornafest Fred’,
at their first major
championships,
saw them claim
individual
silver at the FEI
European Under 16
Championships in
Strzegom, Poland.
Ben, together with
his GAIN Irish
Under 16 eventing
teammates Caoimhe
Crozier, Sarah
Keane and Ted
O’Leary, managed
by Becky Cullen,
were also honoured
for their fantastic
performances at
the Championships,
where they won
team bronze
EVENTING: The GAIN Irish Under 21 eventing team, from left, Jim Tyrrell, Heather O’Connor,
Alannah Kelly and Brian Kuehnle, pictured with Sue Shortt (centre) at the 2021 Horse Sport
Ireland athlete reception. (FW48-512NN)
following three
days of intense
competition.
Grace Murtagh
and Rachel Lucey
were also recognised
for their individual
performances at the
championships. It
was an incredibly
emotional event
for all of the Irish
athletes and their
manager Becky
Cullen, as they
honoured their
fellow team member
Tiggy Hancock,
who tragically died
following a fall from
her pony when
preparing for the
Championships and
former team member
Grace Tyrell, who
passed away in 2020.
At Under 21
level, Team Ireland
brought home two
team silver medals
in show jumping
and eventing at
the FEI European
Championships.
The GAIN Equine
Irish Under 21 show
jumping team of
Kayleigh Soden,
Jack Ryan, Sean
Monaghan, Harry
Allen and Jason
Foley, managed
by James Kernan,
finished a very close
second to Belgium
in Vilamoura
and Acting Chef
d’Equipe at the
Championships,
Liam Buckley, was
also acknowledged
for his contribution
to the team’s
success.
The GAIN Irish
Under 21 eventing
team of Jim Tyrrell,
Jennifer Kuehnle,
Alannah Kelly and
Brian Kuehnle,
managed by Sue
Shortt, produced
another stellar
performance in
Segersjö, Sweden
to claim Ireland’s
second team silver
medal. Representing
PARALYMPIANS:
Right, Irish
Paralympians
Rosemary
Gaffney and
Michael Murphy
pictured at the
2021 Horse
Sport Ireland
athlete reception.
(FW48-514NN)
Ireland individually,
Zara Nelson and
Heather O’Connor
also received special
presentations for
their performances.
Incredibly, all six
Irish competitors
finished inside the
top 20.
The Tokyo 2020
Olympics and
Paralympics was
undoubtedly one of
the most challenging
of all time, with the
postponement due
to Covid posing so
many difficulties for
all involved. HSI was
proud to recognise
the Herculean effort
made by the athletes
on each squad, and
that of their owners,
managers, coaches
and support staff.
Show jumping
athletes Cian
O’Connor, Bertram
Allen and Darragh
Kenny all qualified
for the individual
final at the Olympic
Games in Tokyo,
with Cian O’Connor
finishing best
of the trio with
the Irish Sport
Horse ‘Kilkenny’,
to take seventh
place overall.
The Devenish
and Underwriting
Exchange-sponsored
senior show
jumping squad,
which included
Cian O’Connor,
Bertram Allen,
Darragh Kenny,
Shane Sweetnam
and Michael Duffy,
managed by Michael
Blake, each received
personalised framed
photographs at the
reception, as did the
Chivers-sponsored
senior eventing
squad of Sarah
Ennis, Sam Watson,
Austin O’Connor,
Cathal Daniels and
Joseph Murphy,
managed by Sally
Corscadden.
Four-time
Olympian, Heike
Holstein was
honoured for
representing
Ireland as an
individual athlete
in the dressage
competition at the
Tokyo Olympics.
This was a very
special achievement
for Heike, as she also
bred and produced
her horse ‘Sambuca’,
a 12-year-old mare,
who made her
Olympic debut in
Tokyo.
In July, it was
officially announced
that Ireland would
field a ParaEquestrian team
at the Tokyo 2020
Paralympic Games.
HSI were delighted
to honour the squad,
which represented
Ireland: Michael
Murphy, Tamsin
Addison, Kate Kerr
Horan and Rosemary
Gaffney, managed by
Debora Pijpers.
In his closing
remarks, Acting
CEO of Horse Sport
Ireland Joe Reynolds
said: “As we begin
to look toward the
Paris Olympics,
which is only three
years away, I think
Team Ireland is in a
very good place. We
have great strength
and depth in our
squads. I was very
impressed by the
performances of
some of our upand-coming senior
show jumpers this
year, Max Wachman,
Mikey Pender, Jack
Ryan, Jason Foley
ang Harry Allen. In
dressage, it looks
as though we will
have eight athletes
all hoping to get a
place on the team.
Similarly, it’s great
to see more athletes
participating in paraequestrian dressage
and there are some
fantastic horses
within the squad, all
capable of producing
good results at the
top level. Our senior
eventing athletes are
undoubtedly among
the best in the
world, the challenge
for them will be
retaining horses who
are at the top level.
But all in all, I think
there is a lot to look
forward to.”