Kildare teenager Ben Connors crowned world number one junior event rider

"The horses have been unbelievable this year," said Connors, "and I’m excited to keep learning and hopefully step up to more senior teams in the future."

Calverstown's Ben Connors will finish 2025 as a world number one

Irish teenager Ben Connors has been officially confirmed as world number one in the FEI eventing juniors world rankings following an outstanding 2025 season.

The 18-year-old finished with 123 points after a year that included four top 10 finishes at CCI3* level and a 10th-place individual finish at the European Championships for Young Riders where he also helped Ireland win team silver. He also made a successful step up to four-star level, finishing seventh on his CCI4* debut at Ballindenisk International 2.

Connors, who hails from Calverstown in Kildare, grew up in a horse-mad family and has been competing since childhood. Eventing combines dressage, cross-country and show jumping. He first came to international attention as a pony rider (Under 16), winning team bronze and individual silver at the FEI European Pony Championships in Strzegom in 2021 with the Connemara gelding Cornafest Fred. He then went one better at the European Pony Championships in 2022 with a team gold and a second individual Silver medal performance. Connors finished off his pony career in 2023 with a team bronze medal.

He usually competes on Irish Sport Horses bred and produced through his family’s OLS programme including OLS King Aragon, OLS Queen Bee and OLS Pixie Hollow. He purchased and produced his prolific European pony Cornafest Fred from a six year old and recently purchased Zuperlative which he has produced to three star level. Connors' three older sisters, Alex, Zara, and Shannon, have also competed and won medals for Ireland at European underage level. 

“It’s a huge honour to be ranked world number one junior – I honestly didn’t expect to see my name at the top of the FEI list," said Connors.

"None of this would be possible without my family, my trainers, sponsors and the owners who trust me with their horses and the support from Eventing Ireland and Horse Sport Ireland. The horses have been unbelievable this year and I’m excited to keep learning and hopefully step up to more senior teams in the future.”

His parents Michelle Nelson and Kieran Connors added: "Ben has worked incredibly hard for this, we are very proud of what he and his horses have achieved. He spent the summer working with Irish Olympian Susie Berry in the UK and he is very thankful for the time she invested in him. To see a young Irish rider from Co Kildare leading the world junior rankings is very special, it was a surprise to us when it was announced this week, we just got a phone call from a family friend saying she had seen it online. It speaks to the strength of the Irish eventing system, from pony level right up to the European/World/Olympic Championships."