Trevor Coyle, winner of the Volvo World Cup qualifying round at Millstreet last November, has been declared Irish Field show jumper of the year.
The Co Armagh jockey has struck up a sensational partnership with Hartwell Stud's magnificent stallion Cruising and, amongst a succession of triumphs during 1997, the pair were also part of Ireland's Aga Khan cup-winning team at the Kerrygold Horse Show.
The Irish Field award for the leading event rider goes to Co Wicklow jockey Mark Kyle, who took on and beat some of the world's best to win the Pedigree Chum series on the British circuit last spring. The new dressage award has been won by Yvette Truesdale from Co Down. The 29-year-old, who holds the national advanced medium and novice titles, became the first Irish rider to receive national lottery funding from the Sports Council last October. The leading pony show jumper award goes to Carl Hanley from Claremorris, a member of Ireland's bronze medal team at the European pony championships and winner of both the 148cms championship at Dublin and the Millstreet 148cms Grand Prix.
Vicky Teuton from Co Down, who has taken the award for the leading event rider under 21, joins the four other award winners at a presentation lunch in Dublin on Monday.
Johan Cruyff, the most expensive horse to be sold to Hong Kong, goes on a redeeming mission in the Hong Kong Classic Trial, a domestic group three event, at Sha Tin today. The Patrick-Louis Biancone charge disappointed when 12th of 14 to Val's Prince in the Hong Kong International Cup at the track last December.
