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“I believe everything happens for a reason,” Ireland’s Jessica Burke tells World of Showjumping as she looks towards her first ever FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final – and beyond. While the Fort Worth final is exciting, there is more to come for Jessica; upon her return from Texas, the 30-year-old will move to a new home base at Ballyward Equestrian – owned by Brian McConville – near Belfast in her native Ireland.

“I have spent six years based in the UK,” Jessica explains. “When I made the decision nearly a year ago to leave the UK, I hadn't any new job sorted. I decided that I wanted to move back towards home – and things just fell into place.”

During the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ 2025/2026 season, Jessica and the 10-year-old gelding Good Star du Bary (Rock’N Roll Semilly x Oberon du Moulin) – owned by Liam Nicholas – picked up points in Oslo, Verona, Stuttgart, Mechelen and Basel before taking the decisive 20 points with a win in Bordeaux. Finishing 11th on the Western European League overall standings, Jessica qualified for her first FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final.

“It was not a goal at the very start,” Jessica tells about the qualification. “As we jumped a couple of those World Cup shows, we were a bit unlucky with one down, but Good Star did it so easy. We picked up some points and then Bordeaux changed things a little bit; we postponed the move to Ireland and made the final the focus for this year. Obviously, Bordeaux was a big help, not only because we got all the points to qualify; we also took a lot of confidence from getting the win.”

“The build-up towards Texas has gone really well,” Jessica continues. “I had Good Star at the Sunshine Tour for fitness, and he felt amazing in Paris which was our last show before the Final.”

“Good Star – or Rocky as we call him – is amazing. He's gotten quite a lot of publicity since our win in Bordeaux, but he's always been a fantastic horse. When you see him jumping 1.30m, you don't probably see what I feel from him. He has all the scope, he's the last careful and he is intelligent – he's everything you'd want in a top horse. Even though he is small, his size actually makes him quite easy to ride. He's got loads of canter but it's easy to shorten him. For me, it's a pleasure to get to ride him at this level. I’m very grateful to my owner who bought him and kept him with me.”

After the FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final, Jessica will move to her new home base at Brian McConville’s Ballyward Equestrian. “They have got a very nice string of horses that looks to be exciting,” Jessica tells. “However, they need producing and finishing off to be able to perform at top level. The plan is to hopefully hold on to the horses a little bit longer and build a string that can be competitive at five-star level.”

“When I moved to UK, traveling was easier than from Ireland,” Jessica answers when asked if moving further away from mainland Europe will make staying competitive at the world-stage more challenging. “That was before Brexit. With the paperwork now, it's not so different anymore. Ireland is a little bit further with the extra boat. The current world number one Scott Brash is a great example that it is possible to do the top sport and not be based in mainland Europe.”

“I think it will be nice for the horses to go back to Ireland, relax and have a break. I like mainland Europe for the shows, but the sport has gotten very busy. With a five-star every week, I think we take a lot out of the horses by keeping them on the road. That's another reason why you need a bigger team of horses; to be able to rest them. That's what I like about moving back to Ireland; our horses can go from show to show and then go home and have a proper break. It's very easy to keep running from show to show if you're on the mainland.”

“It's a good time for a change,” Jessica concludes. “I can now live in Ireland again, which is what I wanted to do, to be home and to be closer to my family. Brian and everybody at Ballyward are very motivated to do the sport at the highest level. I'm back competing at the top, and I now have an opportunity to try and stay there. I feel lucky, and excited for the future with Ballyward.”

6.4.2026 No reproduction of any of the content in this article will be accepted without a written permission, all rights reserved © World of Showjumping.com. If copyright violations occur, a penalty fee will apply.