Karlswood To Support The Junior Equitation Classes At The 2023 Dublin Horse Show

The RDS is delighted to announce that Cian O’Connor’s Karlswood will sponsor, and provide a training bursary to the winners, of the two Junior Equitation classes at the 2023 Dublin Horse Show.

The Junior Equitation classes will take place on Sunday, the 13th of August, in the Simmonscourt ‘Granville Nugent’ National Show Jumping Arena. Thirty-two pony and rider combinations (sixteen in each class) will qualify through four regional qualifiers which will run during the four Pony, Young Rider & Children on Horses qualifier weekends.

There is a competition for riders aged between 10 and 14 years old riding ponies under 138cm, and a competition for riders aged between 12 and 17 years old riding ponies between 138cm and 153cm. The top four pony and rider combinations in each class, at each of the four qualifiers, will be eligible to enter and compete at the Dublin Horse Show. The winner of each class at the Show will receive a two-day training bursary at Karlswood.

The aim of the Junior Equitation classes is to improve the standard of equitation amongst junior riders. The competitions will be judged, and the judges will focus on the rider’s overall position, balance, effectiveness, and influence on, and harmony with, their mount. Commenting on the sponsorship, Cian O’Connor stated ‘the Junior Equitation classes provide an important platform for young riders to learn and demonstrate the basics of good equitation, which is so fundamental to the development and continuation of their future riding careers, be it at a professional, competitive or leisure level’.

Cian O’Connor’s reputation as a coach is internationally recognised. He is known for his rigorous planning, attention to detail, and for delivering on the big occasion both in his own career and that of his students. His training is rooted in the basics of good equitation, and he instils an understanding and respect of these principles amongst his roster of talented and dedicated riders, who are known for their stylish technique in the saddle.
For the two successful young riders, the bursary will provide a unique opportunity to sample the Karlswood experience, and the approach that has garnered such international success for Cian and his students.  

Cian’s personal achievements are remarkable, having ridden in his first Nations’ Cup for Ireland at the age of 19. He has gone on to achieve an outstanding record as part of the Irish team, with 136 appearances to date under the Irish flag, including four World Championships. An Olympic individual Bronze medal winner in London in 2012, Cian has maintained his high level of success for over two decades. In 2017, he added a European Gold team medal and a European individual Bronze medal to his record and was a member of last year’s Aga Khan winning team in the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ of Ireland at the Dublin Horse Show, a roster of accomplishments which any young rider could only hope to emulate.

Pat Hanly, Show Director stated ‘the RDS is delighted to form this partnership with Cian O’Connor and Karlswood. The Junior Equitation is an integral platform for the correct training and development of young riders. It is anticipated that Cian’s support will further bolster the interest and competition amongst our budding horsemen and women in these important foundation competitions’.