Road to Millstreet: One Month to Go

Welcome to the very first instalment of our Road to Millstreet blog! My name is Emma Hickey, I’m the event organiser, and I’ve been involved in shows and events at Millstreet my whole life. With just one month to go until the FEI Eventing World Championship U25 presented by Connolly’s RED MILLS, I wanted to take this chance to bring you behind the scenes as we put the final pieces in place.

A Historic First for a Historic Venue

We are extremely excited to host the first ever FEI Eventing World Championship for Under 25s, and there’s something really fitting about a venue with Millstreet’s legacy taking on this milestone event.

For those who don’t know the history, Millstreet is no stranger to the big occasion. We’ve hosted European Championships from the 1980s right through to 2017, Nations Cups of Eventing, Olympic qualifiers, and the Volvo World Cup Show Jumping. So while this championship is a first in many ways, welcoming top-class international sport to these grounds is very much in our DNA.

Entries From Around the Globe

Nominated entries have already come in from 15 countries across the globe, and we couldn’t be more excited about the calibre and reach of the field assembling for Millstreet. It’s a genuine thrill to see riders and horses preparing to travel from so many corners of the world to compete here.

A Team 150 Strong

Behind every great championship is a great team, and we’ve now assembled our full panel of 150 officials, including the FEI-appointed Ground Jury, Technical Delegates and veterinary team. Our officials are coming from right around the globe, with New Zealand in one direction and Los Angeles in the other. Their experience and expertise will be central to delivering a championship of the standard this event deserves.

We’re also delighted to have Connolly’s RED MILLS presenting the championship, and we’re grateful for their continued support of the sport. Our teams have been busy planning some exciting things for the championship week.

Out on the Cross Country Course

Work on the cross country course is in full swing. Course builders Sylwek and Milosz have been busy building some new fences, while our grounds team have been hard at work implementing new drainage and more following the purchase of some new machinery, all to ensure the going is absolutely perfect by championship week. We’ve been helped along by some surprisingly kind weather too. After a wet winter, Ireland has turned on the sunshine just when we needed it, and the ground is responding beautifully. Looking ahead, Mike Etherington-Smith (GBR) and Paul Brady (IRL) will be on site next weekend to begin setting out the fences, so things are about to get very real very quickly!

The CCI Classes: A Final Run

Alongside the Championship, entries are rolling in on Eventing Ireland for our CCI classes at 2*, 3*, 4*L, and 3*-S and 4*-S. These classes will serve as a final run for our youth teams heading to the European Championships, and for some combinations, a valuable prep run on the road to Aachen.

We’re delighted to continue our relationship with Connolly’s RED MILLS, Foran Equine and Carr & Day & Martin, who are sponsoring these classes. Their ongoing support means a huge amount to us, and we’re grateful to have such leading brands on board.

What’s Next

It’s been just five weeks since our most recent International Horse Trials, and a massive thank you has to go to everyone who helped make the week happen, and to everyone who took part.

Next up, the venue turns its attention to the annual Millstreet Pony & Young Rider Show (July 2–5), where we will welcome over 500 ponies and horses from all over Ireland. This will be the first of our three main events this summer.

Regular visitors will notice some big changes around the Main Complex. We’ve renovated our offices and the structure of the indoor arena, and we’re continuing to work our way through the rest of the building. After 30 years since it first went up, it’s getting some well-deserved TLC. Next on the list is the Indoor Arena, which will be back in full swing this August for the Millstreet CSI2* International Show. We can’t wait!

That’s the news for now, but there’s plenty more to come as we count down the final month. Course building begins in earnest next weekend, entries continue to come in, and the excitement here at Millstreet is building by the day.

Thank you for following along on the Road to Millstreet — we’ll see you back here soon with the next update.

Emma.