FOR Irish eventer Cathal Daniels (22), the buzz of winning the British Horse Feeds U25 championship at Bramham International Horse Trials has certainly not disappeared.
Cathal rode the talented Rioghan Rua – stable name Red – who was bred and owned by Mags and Frank Kinsella.
Since Red was six-years-old the partnership has been competing and achieving fantastic results including in the 2013 Junior Europeans in France, securing team gold and individual seventh.
In the 2014 Junior Europeans at Bishop Burton they claimed the team gold and individual silver and then finished seventh and team bronze in the Young Rider Europeans at Strezgorm in 2015.
Last year Cathal and Red were part of the silver medal team at the World Equestrian Games in Tryon and to date Cathal is the only Irish eventer to win medals at every age group of eventing – Ponies, Juniors, Young Riders and Seniors.
The 2019 season has started extremely well for Cathal as he became the Irish National U25 Champion at Tattersalls in May followed by his win at Bramham.
Cathal is hoping to have another run with Red this season which will hopefully aid his campaign to be selected for the Senior Europeans at Luhmuhlen in September.
As well as Red, owners Mags and Frank Kinsella also own Sammy Davis Junior who Cathal is competing at 4* level. Other rides include OLS King Aragon and OLS Queen Bee owned by Michelle Nelson and Kieran Connors, Galant DHI and Harieko DHI from DHI Event Horses and LEB Lias Jewel bred and owned by Jo Breheny.
Cathal is aiming for OLS Queen Bee and Harieko DHI to compete at Le lion d’Angers 6 and 7-year-old World Breeding Championship and Galant DHI, OLS King Aragon and LEB Lias Jewel will be aimed for Blenheim Palace International 8 and 9- year-old class and then maybe Boekelo in Holland.
Cathal commented: “I started my career at home in Galway with my three sisters where we all had a passion for ponies and began 128cm pony showjumping. From the age of 13 I veered towards eventing and knew that this would be my career.
“The Olympics was always a goal of mine and that is why the win on Rioghan Rua in the British Horse Feeds U25 CCI-L4* at Bramham will be a special moment because it resulted in me achieving my Tokyo 2020 Qualification!”
