With the official team season now done for 2019, attention turns to the individual jumping circuit with the first European round of the FEI World Cup series taking place in Norway at Oslo Horse Show this weekend.

The year is getting off to a familiar start for Irish riders based in the US as the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) commences in Wellington, Florida today and continues for three months.

Dressage rider Judy Reynolds made her first appearance in this year’s FEI World Cup qualifying series in Mechelen, Belgium at the weekend with Vancouver K where she finished in fifth place, but yesterday the Germany-based Kildare rider maintained that her focus for the year ahead is aimed beyond the annual championship and fixed on getting to Tokyo 2020.

The securing of a one-year extension to his contract as Ireland’s show jumping team manager was welcomed last week by Rodrigo Pessoa, whose priority in his coming term is to get his charges to Tokyo 2020.

After a two-week break, the FEI World Cup series resumes this weekend with both dressage and show jumping rounds taking place in Stuttgart in Germany.

Ireland’s Bertram Allen makes his first FEI World Cup appearance of the 2018/2019 season in what is the third round of the series in Verona, Italy this weekend.

Last weekend’s RTÉ Team Of The Year accolade for Ireland’s show jumpers may have crowned a memorable 2017 for equestrian sport in this country, but we’re not quite done for the year yet.

Now that the Global Champions Tour has concluded for another year, the FEI World Cup series provides the main international show jumping focus in the months ahead.

Irish riders netted three-star Grand Prix victories on both sides of the Atlantic at the weekend, with Paul O’Shea scoring in Tryon, North Carolina, and Darragh Kenny coming out on top at Montpellier in France.

Ireland's Cameron Hanley finished a creditable 7th in the latest qualifying round of the FEI World Cup in Vigo, Spain, tonight.