Horse Sport Ireland has named a strong and experienced Irish team for next month’s FEI World Jumping Championship in Aachen, with qualification for the Los Angeles Olympic Games among the prizes on offer.
Bertram Allen will compete with Qonquest De Rigo, Darragh Kenny with Eddy Blue, Cian O’Connor with Chatolinue PS and Shane Sweetnam with the Irish Sport Horse James Kann Cruz.
Denis Lynch and Vistogrand will travel as reserves, with Daniel Coyle and Jordan Coyle named as non-travelling reserves.
The team has been selected by High Performance Jumping Manager Jessica Kürten and brings together four riders who combined to secure a podium finish for Ireland in the five-star Nations Cup at La Baule earlier this season.
The selections also reflect strong recent international form.
Kenny and Eddy Blue jumped double-clear in the five-star Nations Cup at Falsterbo, while Sweetnam and James Kann Cruz travel to Germany following a maiden five-star Grand Prix victory at the same venue.
O’Connor and Chatolinue PS finished fourth in the Rolex Grand Prix at La Baule, while Allen and Qonquest De Rigo have continued to establish themselves among the leading international combinations.
The World Championship is one of the most important events in the equestrian calendar and will offer Ireland an opportunity to secure team qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
That increases the championship’s strategic significance beyond the pursuit of medals in Aachen.
Irish show jumping operates within a much wider sporting and economic ecosystem encompassing breeders, owners, producers, grooms, coaches, transport providers and international sales.
That wider ecosystem will be on full display at the RDS from August 5th to 9th when the Dublin Horse Show returns for its 151st edition.
The Show remains Ireland’s most important annual showcase for equestrian sport, combining elite international competition with breeding, production, tourism, retail, hospitality and corporate engagement. More than 100,000 visitors are expected across its five days, with 2026 also marking the centenary of Nations Cup jumping for the Aga Khan Trophy.
Its continued scale is underpinned by an extensive commercial partnership network. Gallagher has signed a three-year agreement as the new title partner of the Dublin Horse Show, while Laya Healthcare’s naming-rights partnership supports the redevelopment and operation of the principal RDS arena.
EOS IT Solutions has become the first title sponsor of the National Show Jumping Arena at Simmonscourt, now known as the EOS IT Solutions Arena. Rolex, Defender, Fáilte Ireland, Mervue Laboratories and Fair Share ESG are also among the principal partners, alongside support from Horse Sport Ireland and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
These partnerships support far more than five days of competition. They provide a platform through which Irish horses, riders, breeders and producers are presented to an international audience while generating significant commercial and tourism activity for Dublin and the wider equestrian sector.
The World Championship team heading to Aachen represents the elite end of that system. The Dublin Horse Show provides its most visible domestic stage and one of the strongest annual connections between high-performance show jumping and the industry that supports it.
Horse Sport Ireland and Laya Healthcare Ireland are full members of Sport for Business.
If you would like to be part of the Sport for Business community and see your organisation in our content, on our stages, and in the conversation happening every day around the commercial world of Irish Sport, email us today and let’s see what is possible.
Image Credit: Horse Sport Ireland
ABOUT SPORT FOR BUSINESS
Sport for Business is Ireland’s leading platform focused on the commercial, strategic and societal impact of sport. It connects decision-makers across governing bodies, clubs, brands, agencies, and public institutions through high-quality content, events, and insights.
Sport for Business explores how sport drives economic value, participation, inclusion and national identity, and how your story can be part of ours.
Through analysis, storytelling and convening the sector, it helps leaders understand trends, share best practices, and make better-informed decisions. It positions sport not just as entertainment but as a vital contributor to Ireland’s social and economic fabric.
Find out more about becoming a member today.
Or sign up for our Daily Sport for Business Snapshot email bulletins to get a flavour of the material we cover.
Sign up for our News Bulletins here.
