The Irish Quarter Horse Association is sending a youth team to represent Ireland at the Youth World Cup in June 2023, to be held in Bryan College Station, Texas USA. These young Irish riders are representing their country and in doing so are promoting the future of western riding in Ireland.
With your help this will be the second time in history that Ireland will be represented at such a prestigious event.
The World Cup will test athletes in individual disciplines such as Horsemanship, Reining, Cutting and many more. It requires athletes to have a comprehensive grasp of Western riding principles, and be able to perform under pressure on a world stage.

The Irish Team consists of established Western riders who have proven competition records - some of them already competing internationally.
The Team is announced as follows:

Kristin Kilfeather
Charlotte Doyle
Niamh Fitzpatrick
Rihanna Thompson
Hannah McGovern
Mia Green
Hazel Dardis

At Ireland's first Youth World Cup in 2014, Ireland did incredibly well and brought home 3 medals. Team Manager Ella Thomas won two of those medals and she is using the extensive experience she gained in Texas, Ireland, and the UK to emulate Ireland’s success yet again.

Team Coach Marleen Rutten is a IQHA accredited level 3 western coach, and has been teaching western riding at one of Ireland’s leading western riding facilities, Drumcoura Equestrian Centre, for over 25 years.

The Youth World Cup Team is entirely self-funded, and sincerely hope that you will consider supporting them by donating.

The IQHA is a not-for-profit organisation, originally established in 2000 and reconstituted in 2009.  It is an affiliate of Horse Sport Ireland and the American Quarter Horse Association and all competitions are run by AQHA rules.