Top performances at the London Olympics, a Rolex FEI Show Jumping World Cup win, and Ireland reclaiming first place in world studbook eventing rankings, were reflected at the presentation of the Horse Sport Ireland 2012 Breeders’ Awards.

A shortlist of 10 riders and 11 horses has been put together for Olympic consideration by Team Ireland Equestrian’s eventing high performance manager Ginny Elliot.

WHETHER it was by design, or co-incidental, one major theme emerged at last Tuesday’s National Equine Conference: The need for more thoroughbred blood in the sport horse population.

CAPTAIN GEOFF CURRAN and eventing high performance manager Ginny Elliot are confident the Army officer’s mount, The Jump Jet, will be fighting fit for the Alltech World Equestrian Games in Kentucky.

CLARE exhibitor Tom Casey had an early showing season double at Bandon last Sunday, where he won the young horse and three-year-old horse championships.

SHANE BREEN, the rider hurriedly drafted into the Irish squad for tomorrow’s nations cup competition at the Fáilte Ireland Dublin Horse Show, gave the home side its best result in yesterday’s feature Irish Sports Council Classic when seventh.

British Horseracing Board chairman Martin Broughton might have a few pressing business matters on his mind at the moment but he found the time to go to Huntingdon and watch Cruising River take the day’s biggest prize at odds of 25-1.