Excitement is building ahead of the first FEI World Eventing Championship U25, presented by Connollys RED MILLS and held in the beautiful Irish countryside at Millstreet, Co Cork, where riders from 14 nations have gathered for this brand-new global competition for the rising stars of the sport.

All 39 horses presented passed the first horse inspection in front of vets and ground jury members James Rooney (IRL, president), Robyn Fisher (USA) and Angela Tucker (GBR).

Great Britain has been drawn first of the five teams, with experienced five-star rider Tom Bird the competition pathfinder on the Czech warmblood Lenny; the pair will be first into the dressage arena at 2pm tomorrow (Thursday, July 23).

Appropriately for a competition in the land of the horse, Ireland, 11 riders (more than 25% of the field) have Irish Sport Horses: the team pathfinder for the USA, drawn second, is Quidley Kellermann riding the ISH Blakeneys Cruise.

The next most popular breed is the Selle Francais (eight horses) and Faustin Forreau will open for France, the third nation to go, on Danaos de Gece, followed by Jennifer Kuehnle for the home nation, Ireland, on the ISH Sammy Davis Junior.

First to go for Germany, which has been drawn fifth and last of the teams, is the FEI Eventing U25 world number one, Calvin Bockmann, riding his long-time partner Altair de la Cense, with whom he has won Junior and Young Rider medals and been listed for senior teams.

Calvin already has happy memories of Millstreet: he represented Germany in the Pony Europeans there in 2014, winning an individual bronze medal. ‘It is going to be a huge thing for my career as we don’t have many opportunities to ride in competitions of this stature with all this atmosphere,’ he said. ‘We are here to do our best.’

The following nations are fielding individual riders: Australia, Austria, Canada, Hungary, Italy, New Zealand, Poland, Spain and Sweden.

Start lists and results on www.rechenstelle.de

Further information: www.millstreet.horse

Picture caption

Irish team member Jennifer Kuehnle trots up Sammy Davis Junior.

Pictures are free to use, but please credit Charles Cunningham/Irish Eventing Times.

For access to the Millstreet picture gallery, please email [email protected] for a password.