Cameron Hanley has received the Irish Show Jumpers’ Club’s show jumper of the year award for 2009.
Hanley finished individual fourth at the European Show Jumping Championships at Windsor last August and recorded a number of wins and top ten places at shows throughout Europe, as well as making various Nations’ Cup team appearances for Ireland.
But he also spent several weeks voluntarily out of the sport after a syringe was found in his jacket at a competition. He was later cleared of any wrong doing.
He received the plaudit at the Show Jumpers’ Club Awards Ball, at Killashee House Hotel in Kildare on Saturday (12 December).
A spokesman for Horse Sport Ireland said: “This has been one of Cameron’s best years to date.”
Offaly-born Darragh Kenny, who won the World Cup Qualifier competition at Syracuse, New York in October, was named rookie of the year, and Alex Duffy, who made several successful Nations’ Cup appearances for Ireland in 2009, was named young rider of the year.
Special awards were given to 16-year-old Kellie Allen for her European pony individual gold medal achievement at Moorsele, Belgium in August, and to the Irish Pony European team for their Silver Medal.
And Mullingar International, in Co Westmeath was named show of the year.
