More equestrian success for Ireland as Ethen Ahearne and Ger O’Neill claim victories in Belgian event

A brilliant performance from Ethen Ahearne and The Irish Sport Horse ABC Saving Grace, owned and bred by Patrick Kehoe, took the six-year-old crown for the Irish.

It was the culmination of a long season for Ahearne and his mare, who competed in the Horse Sport Ireland Studbook Series through the summer and also at the Dublin Horse Show.

The delighted Tipperary man was admitted it felt a bit surreal to win his first World Championship, but new from early in the week that he was in contention for honours.

A massive 270 combinations entered the six-year-old competition at the start of the week, with the top 40 making it through to the final. Fourteen combinations went forward to the jump-off, with Ahearne and ABC Saving Grace - the sole Irish representatives - winning with a brilliant clear in 36.74.

“We had had a busy season – I had built her up through the Horse Sport Ireland competitions and then at Dublin, where thankfully she had qualified at the first time of asking,” Ahearne said.

“It was actually difficult to get her back to peak again for Lanaken, keep her fresh and well, but she has a really big heart and is a real trier when she gets into the ring. And on the day, she rose to the occasion, in fairness to her.

“She felt great in the first round, I was going day-by-day though. After jumping around the first day, I knew she was on her game and the only way she would make a mistake was that if I made it for her.

“I suppose that brings its own pressure, but I was quietly confident, without getting too excited. And I was looking forward to Sunday, where she was brilliant again and put in a great round in the jump-off again.

“It’s surreal to think we’re World Champions, to be honest. Very nice, but surreal. I’m also delighted for Pat, her breeder too. It can be a long old road for a breeder.

“He had her mother jumping but it can be a long time before you can get a result like this as a breeder so I’m very happy for him.

“I must also thank all my team at home for putting in the hard yards so that I can come somewhere like here to compete, as well as Horse Sport Ireland, and all the Irish who were out here and helped me as we got towards the jump-off in the final.”

Earlier in the day, Kilkenny’s Ger O’Neill and The Irish Sport Horse BP Goodfellas, bred by Kevin Babington and Greg Broderick’s Ballypatrick Stables, were crowned World Champions in the five-year-old final.

The result completed an incredible hat-trick of World Championship wins for O’Neill, who won the six-year-old World title with the Irish Sport Horse Killossery Kaiden in 2016 and was World Champion again in 2017 with the Irish Sport Horse Columbcille Gipsy.

Having come through two intense qualifying rounds earlier this week that attracted over 240 starters, the top 47 combinations took their place in the final to see who would be crowned World Champions.

18 horses and riders jumped clear in the first round to make it into the jump-off, with two of those for Ireland. Third-last to go against the clock, O’Neill and BP Goodfellas stormed into the lead with a stunning clear round in 40.12 seconds and take the championship.

Three-time World Championship winner O’Neill said: “A fantastic day, I was a winner here in 2016 with a 6-year-old and back again in 2017.

“It’s very nice to come back and win it again. It’s a great feeling at a World Championship, it’s unbelievable to win it. Huge thanks to Greg and Cheryl Broderick and to Kevin Babington who own and bred the horse, and everyone out here giving me a hand, it’s really a team effort from Ireland here which is huge, and to win on an Irish horse is also fantastic.”

Ireland’s Show Jumping Team Manager for the Championships in Lanaken, Jack Doyle, added: “It’s really great to get results like this in a World Final, Ger did a fantastic job as always in the five-year-old final and for Ethen to follow-up with another Irish win in the six-year-old final made it a day to remember.”