Omagh Academy Showjumping team crowned champions!

OMAGH Academy's showjumping team were crowned Bluegrass Schools Champions at Balmoral Show on Saturday.

Ten teams from across Ireland competed in what proved to be a very high standard competition in the Main Arena.

Zoe Keys was first to go for the Academy team with 'Victory Day'. The pair showed their experience by jumping a double clear setting a fast time.

Zara Smyth was next up with 'Rakish Talisman' who despite a lovely steady round, unfortunately just had one pole down.

Newcomer to the team, Olivia McCrea, riding the very experienced 'Rookie Diamond' looked calm and collected entering the daunting arena, and produced an excellent double clear and a fast time to put the pressure on the other schools.

After the third rider for each school, the teams level on score were Omagh Academy and Wesley College.

Both teams had one rider who faulted but with the best three scores to count had the chance to have a zero score should the final rider go clear.

Therefore when Wesley went double clear and the ended on zero faults, the pressure was on the Academy's anchor leg - team captain Amy McLaughlin - who produced a fantastic double clear on her reliable 'Rhonda' to leave the team also on a zero score.

With both teams tied on zero faults, the result came down to time, and it was the Academy who were two seconds faster than Wesley, meaning they were crowned Balmoral Schools Champions 2024.

"This was the third year in a row where the team have placed in the top two winning in 2022 and were runners up last year," a school spokesperson said, "A super result at the highest level of schools competition."