Dutch, Irish and Belgian horses take Lanaken titles

Clement McMahon andNLS Coole
Al Clover win Ireland's first World
Breeding Championship title. By
FEI/Dirk Caremans

The Dutch, Irish and Belgian Studbooks came out on top at the FEI World Jumping Championships for Young Horses in Lanaken, Belgium (23-26 September).

With huge entries and tough competition at the show enthusiastic crowds of spectators, breeders, producers and riders enjoyed the annual spectacle, which has become one of the most important dates on the international jumping calendar as studbooks compare their merit and undergo scrutiny in the showring.

Five-year-olds
The five-year-old title went the dark bay KWPN gelding Always There, who is owned by T & L Collins, ridden to success by Brazil's Camilla Mazza de Benedicto.

Sired by Indoctro, Always There pipped the Westphalian stallion Comme Il Faut (Cornet Obolensky x Ramiro) owned by Gestut Zhaschkow and steered into silver medal position by Germany's Franz-Josef Dahlmann. Third place in this division was taken by Holstein Cortado under Denmark's Andreas Schou.

Six-year-olds
There was great celebration in the Irish camp when Clement McMahon took gold in the six-year-olds with Brian Kenny's NLS Coole Al Clover. It was Ireland's first FEI World Young Horse Championship victory and Alison Corbally, director of breeding for Horse Sport Ireland, was ecstatic with the result.

“The Irish Sport Horse studbook has been waiting 18 years to win a gold medal at the fiercely competitive FEI World Breeding Jumping Championships for Young Horses," she said. "[We had] a second last year (Drumiller Lough), third in 1996 (Ringcoola Abu) and fourth in 2006 (Cavalier Andy), but the long wait makes Clem McMahon’s tremendous win all the sweeter."

The stallion (Aldatus Z x Clover Hill) was bred by the owner's son Eamon Kenny and both father and son were at the show to witness the triumph.

Silver went to Belgian-bred stallion Emerald (Diamant de Semilly x Carthago) owned by Euro Horse BVBA and ridden by Harrie Smolders, while Australia's Edwina Alexander took the bay Selle Francais gelding Quimono de la Roque, owned by herself and Stal Tops, into bronze.

Seven-year-olds
A Belgian horse and rider took the seven-year-old honours. The BWP gelding Equipharma Dax van Dabdijhoeve (Desir du Chateau x Clinton) claimed victory with Pieter Devos, who was getting in his last ride before heading for a flight to the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, where he is competing.

The 24-year-old rider was awarded the Belgian Young Rider of the Year title last season. He continued to demonstrate his talent bringing his home-owned horse through the finish in the final round with almost two seconds advantage over Germany's Rene Tebbel and the Holsteiner Cooper (Colman x Limbus), who is owned by Hermann-Josef Sandmann.

The Irish were back in the frame here again with Greg Broderick taking bronze on his father Austin's Ballypatrick Mystique into bronze. The chestnut mare (Heritage Fortunus x Cavalier Royale) helped to ensure the Irish celebrations went on well into Sunday night.