Press release from FEI written by Louise Parkes

At the FEI European Pony Championships 2019 staged in the Hippodrome at Morawa in Strzegom, Poland a total of 153 riders aged between 12 and 16 years representing 18 countries competed over five days of fast and furious action that began on 14 August and concluded on 18 August.

The jumping team championship was a real thriller, with two separate jump-offs to decide both gold and bronze. 

France and Germany, each carrying 12 faults, contested third place and it was the French foursome of Jeanne Hirel (Armene du Costilg), Ilona Mezzadri (Callas Rezidal Z), Pauline Scalabre (Sligo de Mormal) and Romane Orhant (Quabar des Monceaux) who squeezed their German opponents off the podium. Both sides added four faults to their scorelines but the French were considerably faster, posting 136.75 while Germany returned in the combined time of 148.32 seconds.

As if that wasn’t exciting enough it was edge-of-the seat stuff when Ireland’s John McEntee (Little Smithe), Niamh McEvoy (Ardfry Skye) and brothers Tom Wachman (Ocean des As) and Max Wachman (Cuffesgrange Cavalidam) took on Britain’s Shaunie Greig (Casino Royale), Claudia Moore (Elando van de Roshoeve), Lily Bremner (Lapislazuli) and Holly Truelove (Rexter D’Or). 

Tied on a two-round total of four faults, and with gold hanging in the balance, both teams produced three more clear rounds and it was Max Wachman’s breath-taking last-to-go run that swung it in Ireland’s favour. Breaking the beam in 40.22 seconds he rounded their total to 129 seconds which left Ireland just 1.72 seconds quicker than Britain in silver medal spot. 

And then Max Wachman made it double-gold on Sunday when the grandson of world-famous thoroughbred horse producers John and Sue Magnier from Coolmore Stud in County Tipperary was the only rider to complete all five Championship rounds on a zero score. 

It took yet another jump-off, this time between Great Britain’s Holly Truelove and Italy’s Ilona Mezzadri to decide jumping silver and bronze, and, first to go, Truelove came off best when Mezzadri left two on the floor.