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 world governing body of equestrian sport (FEI) has given a three-month timescale for bids to host the next world championships in 2022 and has said it will accept representations from venues interested in staging standalone events as well as those who would be prepared to host all seven equestrian disciplines at once.

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.

Irish show jumper Cian O’Connor has been elected to represent the world’s show jumpers on the Jumping Committee of the FEI, equestrian sport’s world governing body, it was announced this week.

The Irish eventing team kept their nerve to hold onto the silver medal on the final day of the eventing competition at the World Equestrian Games in North Carolina yesterday where Pádraig McCarthy added to the Irish haul by claiming silver in the individual competition.

The opening ceremony for the World Equestrian Games (WEG) took place last night in Tryon, North Carolina and the first of thirteen days of action gets underway today. Endurance, Reining and Dressage are the disciplines kicking things off and Ireland is represented in all three.

With equestrian sport’s world championships, the World Equestrian Games, less than three months away, Irish eventing was boosted at the weekend by a number of stellar performances at the four-star German meeting at Luhmühlen.

The recent cold snap afflicting the US has lifted just in time for the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) which begins today at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, Florida. 

Next year’s World Equestrian Games (WEG) have taken on a new perspective for Ireland’s show jumpers following their recent European Championships victory in Gothenburg, Sweden, team member Cian O’Connor said yesterday.

The securing of maximum points is the target of manager Rodrigo Pessoa as Ireland’s show jumping team begin their competitive season in the five-star Nations Cup at La Baule, France this Friday.

A cool-headed clear from Greg Broderick on MHS Going Global last night ensured Ireland scraped through to tomorrow’s €1.5m Furusiyya Series final in Barcelona, Spain.

Bertram Allen yesterday said he believes the fact he won Ireland’s single show jumping slot in the Olympics must have a significant bearing when it comes to selecting who will actually line out in the Games.

Horse Sport Ireland has not ruled out taking the case involving Cian O’Connor to the Swiss federal courts.

Show jumper Richie Moloney is considering a shot at the World Cup final following his qualifier victory in North Salem, New York on Sunday.

Joseph Murphy was “really happy” after helping Ireland to a solid start that left them fifth of 11 teams in the European Eventing Championships at Blair Castle, Scotland, yesterday.

Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) is to “exhaust every possible avenue of appeal” after its protest over interference by a steward to Cian O’Connor’s round in the European Show Jumping Championships was last night rejected.

Kudos is due Horse Sport Ireland for securing Investec as the first corporate sponsor of the Irish show jumping team.

Greg Broderick and MHS Going Global flew two successful Furusiyya Series missions for Ireland recently in Lummen and La Baule, but it’s fair to say they did so under the radar.

Having finished third of the three teams in last year’s inaugural FEI Eventing Nations Cup at Ballindenisk, the Irish will be bidding for improvement this weekend, writes John Tynan.

Nineteen-year-old Irish show jumper Bertram Allen got the perfect start at the World Cup final in Las Vegas when winning the opening speed class with Molly Malone V in the early hours of this morning.

Ireland eventing high performance manager Nick Turner says securing qualification for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro has meant for a “switch in focus”.

Equestrian: US-based riders get the chance to show off their horsepower to Ireland manager Robert Splaine in today’s $200,000 Furusiyya Nations Cup opener in Ocala, Florida, though Kevin Babington got in early last night when winning the 1.50m grand prix qualifier on Mark Q.

Equestrian: It came as no surprise on Tuesday that Tony Hurley was returned as chairman of ShowjumpingIreland for a third and final year.

It was on Monday morning that Cameron Hanley found out he was to lose the ride on all but one of his top horses, taking to Facebook to say ‘it breaks my heart’.

One of Ireland’s foremost show jumpers, Cameron Hanley, has lost the ride on almost all of his top horses.

ShowjumpingIreland (SJI) has negotiated insurance cover that will see no increase in its premium, according to chairman Tony Hurley.

Robert Splaine will continue as manager of the Ireland show jumping team, following a review of his performance over the past two years.

Ireland eventing coach Nick Turner is hopeful the good times will continue this weekend as he leads his charges in the Eventing Nations Cup final in Boekelo, the Netherlands.

Patricia Ryan hopes Dunrath Eclipse will pass his biggest test to date when he tackles today’s cross-country phase at the Johnson and Perrott Land Rover International Horse Trials in Cork.

Irish show jumping manager Robert Splaine remains hopeful of bagging a place at the Rio Olympics with a top-five finish today at the World Equestrian Games in Normandy, France.

Eventer Sarah Ennis yesterday highlighted the leading role played by show jumping coach Ian Fearon in Ireland achieving Olympic qualification at the World Equestrian Games (WEG) at the weekend.

Irish teenager Bertram Allen declared himself "surprised" to be in pole position after the first day of the show jumping contest at the World Equestrian Games in Normandy, France.

Show jumper Kevin Babington spent a brief spell in a water jump on Sunday, but he made sure it didn’t dampen his day as he went on to win the $250,000 Hampton Classic in New York.

Millstreet in Co Cork will resound to the hoof-beats of more than 1,200 equines this week, as the Cork town stages its annual international horse show.

Dublin Horse Show

Ireland show jumping team manager Robert Splaine was far from defeatist after his team’s disappointing performance in yesterday’s Furusiyya Nations Cup at the Discover Ireland Dublin Horse Show.

Cian O’Connor is countenancing no suggestion but victory in today’s Furusiyya Series Nations Cup at the Discover Ireland Dublin Horse Show.

Show jumper Billy Twomey yesterday described himself as "disappointed" after he was replaced by manager Robert Splaine for tomorrow’s crucial nations cup contest at the Discover Ireland Dublin Horse Show.

Days after another stunning success and days before the Irish squad for the World Equestrian Games (WEG) is announced, it’s a case of what will be will be for eventer Aoife Clark.