Sam Griffiths new Head of Eventing at Horse Sport Ireland
An Aussie for Ireland’s bush riders and an icon for show jumpers
from Dominique Wehrmann 
Sam Griffiths achieved his greatest successes with the Irish mare Paulank Brockagh, here after the final jump to Olympic bronze in Rio 2016. Photo: Sportfotos-lafrentz.de Australian eventer Sam Griffiths has achieved his greatest successes with an Irish horse, the OBOS Quality daughter Paulank Brockagh. The pair were a dream team in international bush sport for nine years, winning in Badminton in 2014 and finishing fourth in the individual classification at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, playing a major part in the bronze medal for the Australians.
Griffiths has not ridden in an international tournament since 2023. However, he has made a name for himself as a coach, including as head coach for the New Zealanders in recent years.
Both his own success in the saddle and his expertise as a trainer make him the ideal candidate for Horse Sport Ireland to prepare their riders for the World Equestrian Games in Aachen 2026 and then the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. HSI Managing Director Denis Duggan said: “His understanding both as a rider and as a leader of what it takes to succeed at the very top level of the sport will be a huge benefit to our eventing program.”
What is certainly needed is ambition. And Griffiths says he has that: “We have the world championships ahead of us and we want to do well there. This is also a milestone towards the Olympics with the opportunity to qualify for LA. And from there it’s on to the European Championships. But what I want is an Olympic medal. So let’s all pull together to achieve that.” He’s knocking down open doors.
Jessica Kürten takes over show jumping management
Back in December, the association announced that the former number two in the world rankings and two-time Olympic rider Jessica Kürten would be taking over the management of the top show jumpers. Kürten is one of the most successful female show jumpers ever to have competed for the Emerald Isle. She is one of the few female show jumpers to have won the Rolex Top Ten Final. She has taken part in the Olympic Games twice, in 1996 and 2004. In 2001 she was part of the winning team at the European Championships.
Kürten ended her international career in 2015. Since then, she has worked as a trainer – including for the Prague Lions Global Champions League team -, is highly regarded as a commentator on FEI TV and represents the interests of riders as an athlete spokesperson on the FEI Jumping Committee.
HSI Managing Director Duggan said: “Jessica Kürten is one of the most influential personalities in Irish show jumping. Her list of achievements speaks for itself. As a two-time Olympic rider, European Champion and Aga Khan winner (the Irish Nations Cup in Dublin), she brings an unbeatable wealth of experience as a top rider who knows exactly what it takes to succeed at the very highest level.”
