PrintThe U.S.-based Irishman scores one of only two double-clears in the Nations Cup tour stop in Sweden.
It had been awhile since Ireland topped a Nations Cup competition—five years, in fact—but the team from the emerald isle showed off a new, not-so-secret weapon in Falsterbo, Sweden, on July 17.
U.S.-based Irishman Darragh Kerins and Night Train have been chugging steadily up the ranks all year, and at the Falsterbo Horse Show, they blew past the competition in their first Nations Cup appearance.
Kerins’ two double-clear rounds with Hunter Harrison and Double H Farm’s 10-year-old Zangersheide gelding (Calvaro Z—Papillon Rouge) were instrumental in Ireland’s win.
“Night Train’s been pretty consistent over the last two seasons,” Kerins said. “We won five grand prix clases in the United States and qualified for the World Cup in Las Vegas. I’m looking forward to continuing with that. From the beginning, whenever we’ve asked him to step up to the next level, he does it. He’s just amazing and tries so hard; he always gives 110 percent.”
Kerins, 34, has been riding Night Train for two years, doing the Florida circuit from January to April and showing in the Northeast during the summer.
Kerins and Night Train debuted at Falsterbo with one of only two double-clear rounds all night, along with Frenchman Olivier Guillon on Lord De Theize. Their perfect score propelled Ireland to top its first Nations Cup victory since winning on their home turf in Dublin in August 2004.
“This was a dream come true—to win here was fantastic!” Kerins said. “It was our first time in Falsterbo, and it was unbelievable. The crowds were amazing, especially for the Nations Cup, and to have ridden a double-clear—it was just fabulous.”
When asked about Frank Rothenberger’s killer course, Kerins, County Sligo, Ireland, said he was somewhat familiar with the designer’s work.
“He built in West Palm Beach [Fla.] this past winter, and his courses were complicated and interesting,” he said. “This course was the most difficult, but there were no traps; the jumps were put there to jump and the time allowed was fair. We obviously loved the course!”
A First Time For Everything
Although the new U.S. team finished lower in the standings than they’ve been accustomed to in recent weeks, ending up in seventh place, only .5 points separate them from the new French leaders in the overall Meydan FEI Nations Cup rankings.
“It’s still possible to win it, but we’re not in the European position with new horses—fresh horses,” said U.S. Chef d’Équipe George Morris. “Our big objective is to stay in it, so that we continue to have access to the very big shows that help us train for championships and Olympic Games.
“The European standard is constantly evolving and improving,” he continued. “Many countries have strong horse-and-rider combinations. We can’t take anything for granted—especially coming from the distant U.S. viewpoint—we’re not here in the trenches. This is not new, but it’s current. No country is as high nationally as internationally. International leagues have a much higher level of competition and intensity. They always have and they always will.”
While Morris undoubtedly wants a U.S. win, he’s determined to give as many young U.S. riders as possible the experience of international league competition.
