Michael Pender and HHS Mercedes triumph in seven-year-old Championship

The FEI WBFSH Jumping World Breeding Championship for Young Horses 2024 has just concluded with a sensational final in the 7-year-old horses. The atmosphere was electric and the excitement high, with Irish rider Michael Pender adding another victory to his already impressive track record by earning another World title.

Like the final for the 6-year-olds, 40 combinations appeared at the start in the 7-year-olds, who managed to qualify for this all-important denouement earlier this week. The first round, designed by course builder Bernard Mathy and his team, proved particularly challenging. Especially the line from the triple jump to the Stephex vertical and the Zangersheide double saw quite a few faults on them. In the end, only seven combinations managed to stay clear and qualified for the jump-off.

In the aal-deciding jump-off, it was Michael Pender who eventually claimed victory. As the last combination to go, he rode the Irish-bred mare HHS Mercedes, a daughter of Can Ya Makan and Couletto, to the finish line in a lightning-fast time of 38.30 seconds. Following his victory last year in the 5-year-olds, Pender thus added another World title to his impressive career. "I am happy to have won another World title here (laughs). HHS Mercedes was trained by Molly Hughes Bravo and together they won the final for the 7-year-old horses at the Sunshine Tour this year, among others. We then made the plan that I would ride her here at the World Championships, but because of the many shows I compete at, the preparation was not always easy.  That's why I did ride her as much as possible in the last few weeks. She really is a fantastic horse to ride, and I am really lucky to have such a good horse under the saddle for the second year in a row with which I can become World Champion!"

Pender's phenomenal ride meant Belgian rider Mathieu Bourdeaud'Hui and BWP's Remco van den Uilenbos had to settle for silver. Bourdeaud'Hui and Remco van den Uilenbos, a son of Nixon van ‘t Meulenhof and Triomphe de Muze from the breeding farm of Raymond De Loose, had taken the lead moments before with a clear round in a time of 38.66 seconds, but Pender and HHS Mercedes where eventually too fast.

Bronze also went to Ireland, thanks to Michael Duffy and his Irish-bred grey gelding BP Royalty, a son of Comme Il Faut and Obos Quality 004, bred by GBBS International Ltd. Duffy and BP Royalty set a solid time of 40.30 seconds as the third starter, completing the podium.