Young Laois horse experts claim world championship win
Teens from Ballyroan and Borris-in-Ossory were on Irish team in Germany
Two young Laois people have been crowned world champions at the International Young Breeders World Championships.
Faye Delaney and Ellen McWhey were members of the Irish Sport Horse Studbook Young Breeders team that became reserve world champions at the 2026 WBFSH International Young Breeders World Championships in Germany.
Ellen's team claimed the senior team silver medal: Edward Hennessy, Robert Deegan and Sarah Kavanagh. Ellen, from Tullore, Ballyroan, also secured the senior individual silver after what Teagasc said was a “brilliant performance” at the Championships held from July 16 to 19 at the Lower Saxony State Stud in Celle.
Faye from Moneymore, Borris-in-Ossory, achieved a top ten finish, coming 10th in the junior group.
Other team members were: Ben Kavanagh, Rowan-Alice Murphy and Ashling Wall.
Teagasc says the 12th WBFSH International Young Breeders World Championships brought together the next generation of international breeders from 19 studbooks across 10 nations for a competition at the highest professional level.
Competitors completed a theory test of 50 questions, assessed conformation of four horses, athleticism (movement and jump) of a further five horses, and presented an unfamiliar horse in hand over three days of competition.
Teagasc Equine specialist and team trainer Wendy Conlon commented on the achievement.
"To achieve the title of Reserve World Champion is a tremendous reward for the dedication, commitment and teamwork these young breeders have shown throughout their preparation. They embraced every challenge with professionalism, worked enthusiastically to develop their skills, and supported each other every step of the way.
"Representing the Studbook on the world stage is a privilege, and I couldn't be prouder of how they conducted themselves. This result reflects not only their hard work, but also the strength of our young breeders training programme and the many people who contributed to their journey.
"The success achieved is a testament to the talent, commitment and enthusiasm of the young people themselves, and to the strong collaboration between Teagasc, Horse Sport Ireland, young breeder tutors Tiernan Gill, Damien Griffin, Andrew Hughes, and Philip Scott, and the many Irish stud farms and production stables that have generously supported training and championship preparation. We look forward to building on this success in the years ahead," she said.
The programme is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine and delivered by Horse Sport Ireland and Teagasc.