Ā Victory for Sven Hadley in the Spring Tour Final, with Annabel Shields as the Overall Winner.
Sunday, April 21st, marked the thrilling conclusion of the TRM | SJC Spring Tour at Coilog Equestrian Centre. The tour, consisting of 14 legs across Munster, Leinster, Connaught, and Ulster, saw intense competition and massive support from participants throughout the last few months.
Annabel Shields emerged as the overall winning rider of the tour, piloting Creevagh Carisma to victory in three legs at Killossery, Jag, and Wexford, as well as securing numerous placings. Annabel, originally from the north of England and based with Sven Hadley, initially intended to stay in Ireland for only three weeks. However, she ended up following the entire league and stayed for 12 weeks. Speaking about her success, Shields commented, “The Spring Tour was extremely beneficial, getting us up and going for the 2024 season”.
Gary Dooley emerged as the Leading Junior/Young Rider for 2024, securing sponsorship from TRM. Although he was unable to attend the final, Gary was competing on the Junior Nations Cup teams in Sentower and CompiĆØgne. He delivered numerous clear rounds and clinched victory in the Junior Grand Prix at Sentower Park aboard CSF Olympic Jewel. Lastly, Niamh O’Connor Barry claimed the Leading Pro-Am Rider title riding Drumiller Vegas.
The final, held at Coilog Equestrian Centre in County Kildare, featured a challenging course designed by Tom Holden, comprising of 12 fences at the 135/140 level. 33 entries competed in the final, with 11 advancing to the second round.
Sven Hadley, riding Uidam, set an unbeatable time as the first to go, stopping the clock in 40.35 seconds. Uidam, by Luidam out of Miss Mac Car, is owned by Hadley Sporthorses and bred by Padraig Howley. This combination secured numerous placings throughout the tour.
Max Foley, aboard HHS Catwalk and owned by Bravo Hughes Ltd, claimed second place and the leading Young Rider Bonus with a time of 42.27 seconds. Derek McConnell, riding Inlaws Manolo, secured third place overall in the league and also took third place in the final. Other notable placements included Liam O’Meara riding Big Dan Du Rouet in fourth place, Ethan Ahearne riding LVS Goldrush H in fifth place, and Matthew Farrell riding LKD Mini Q in sixth place.
The top 3 riders were presented with TRMĀ®ļø supplement packs, courtesy of TRMĀ®. These packs included essential products such as TRM Hat, TRM Global Brochure,Ā Kurasyn PB,Ā Good as Gold Paste,Ā Equizal,Ā Hoof Oil & Brush,Ā Flamezze,Ā Omega 3,Ā Superlyte Paste, andĀ Speedxcell. Additionally, the leading young rider, Max Foley, was awarded a TRM Saddle Cloth.
As in previous years, the winning combination of the Tour took home ā¬3,000, while the runner-up combination collected ā¬1,500 and third place ā¬500. Huge thanks to all the venues and participants throughout the 2024 Spring Tour. Huge thanks to JUMPINACTION for the photographs.Ā
