World championship-winning horse BP Goodfellas was bred in Tipperary
Success at Jumping World Breeding Championship for Young Horses in Belgium
An incredible run of results during the 2022 season for Irish horses, riders, breeders and owners continued last Sunday, with two outstanding victories for Ireland at the FEI WBFSH Jumping World Breeding Championship for Young Horses at Lanaken in Belgium.
A brilliant performance from Kilkenny’s Ger O’Neill and The Irish Sport Horse BP Goodfellas, bred by Tipperary men Kevin Babington and Greg Broderick at Ballypatrick Stables, near Thurles, saw them crowned world champions in the 5-year-old final.
The result completed an incredible hat-trick of world championship wins for Bennettsbridge man O’Neill, who won the 6-year-old world title with the Irish Sport Horse Killossery Kaiden in 2016, and was world champion again in 2017 with the Irish Sport Horse Columbcille Gipsy.
Having come through two intense qualifying rounds earlier this week that attracted over 240 starters, the top 47 combinations took their place in the final to see who would be crowned world champions. Eighteen horses and riders jumped clear in the first round to make it into the jump-off, with two of those for Ireland.
Third last to go against the clock, Ger O’Neill and BP Goodfellas stormed into the lead with a stunning clear round in 40.12 seconds – a time that would prove unbeatable.
The 6-year-old final saw Ireland claim another memorable win, as Ethen Ahearne and The Irish Sport Horse ABC Saving Grace, owned and bred by Patrick Kehoe, took Ireland’s second world title of the day.