- by Paul Nolan, edited by Eurodressage
Kevin Acres was crowned Irish Grand Prix Champion for a second time at the 2025 Dressage Ireland National Dressage championships in Ballindenisk Equestrian, County Cork, on 30 August 2025.
Top Three
Kevin scored 69.295% with Michelle Begley's 14-year-old KWPN gelding Ganesh (by Jazz x Partout) to win the Dressage Ireland Grand Prix championship.
" To have achieved this title on Ganesh really was a dream come true," Acres stated. "To have scored 69% on Ganesh, a horse I produced to Grand Prix myself, made the win even more special!"
County Wicklow's Josephine Delahoyde, winner of the Grand Prix Kür class, posted a 65.000% total with the 15-year old KWPN bred Barroso (by Bordeaux x Saros) for second place in Grand Prix. Barroso was previously competed by Belgian Olympian Larissa Pauluis before owners Paul Schockemöhle and Joop van Uytert sold the bay to Ireland in 2021.
Limerick native Tara Oliver Donohoe and her 14-year old Hanoverian bred Woodcraft Fürst Romance (by Furst Romancier x His Highness) scoring 64.895% to complete the podium in third.
Kevin Acres
Kevin (28) who was born in the Dublin suburb of Ballyfermot, spent most of his life living in Lucan before moving to Kilcock, County Kildare eight years ago. His family had no connection with horses but following lessons on ponies at Maynooth Equestrian he worked in Dollanstown before moving to Greenogue Equestrian Centre in Rathcoole, County Dublin about five years ago.
Acres won his first national title at the Dressage Ireland championships in Mullingar Equestrian, County Westmeath in 2023, the same year as a career-best international performance for third place in the Grand Prix Special class at the three-star show in Lipica, Slovenia, having travelled that year to Germany to train and compete with Irish Olympian and former national champion Judy Reynolds. Acres' last international start was in June 2023 in Brno.
National Dressage Champions of Ireland 1977 to 2025
1977 (RDS)-Jacki Doherty (1)
1978 (RDS)-Jacki Doherty (2)
1979 (RDS)-John Hall (1)
1980 (RDS)-John Hall (2)
1981 (Powerscourt)-Vida Tansey (1)
1982 (Punchestown)-John Hall (3),
1983 (Punchestown)-Jacki Doherty (3)
1984 (RDS)-John Hall (4)
1985 (RDS)-John Hall (5),
1986 (Powerscourt)-Elizabeth Wolle-Brandt (1)
1987 (Powerscourt)-John Hall (6)
1988 (Powerscourt)–Elizabeth Wolle-Brandt (2)
1989 (Powerscourt)–John Lyttle (1)
1990 (Powerscourt)–Heike Holstein (1)
1991 (Birr Castle Demesne)–Heike Holstein (2)
1992 (Castletown House)–Heike Holstein(3),
1993 (Castletown House)–Heike Holstein (4)
1994 (Tattersalls)–Heike Holstein (5)
1995 (Tattersalls)–Deborah Gibson (1),
1996 (Cavan)–Yvette Truesdale (1)
1997 (Cavan)–Heike Holstein (6)
1998 (Cavan)–Heike Holstein (7)
1999 (Cavan)–Katy Bradley (1).
2000 (Cavan)–Yvette Truesdale (2)
2001 (Cavan)–Yvette Truesdale (3)
2002 (Cavan)–Niall Quirk (1),
2003 (Cavan)–Heike Holstein (8)
2004 (Cavan)–Heike Holstein (9)
2005 (Marlton Stud)–Heike Holstein (10)
2006 (Cavan)–Laragh O'Grady (1)
2007 (Necarne Castle)–Heike Holstein (11)
2008 (Necarne Castle)–Laragh O'Grady (2),
2009 (Cavan)-Yvette Truesdale (4).
2010 (Cavan)-Sarah Mellor (1)
2011 (Cavan)-Laragh O'Grady (3)
2012 (Cavan)-Kate Dwyer (1)
2013 (Cavan)–Roland Tong (1),
2014 (Cavan)–Judy Reynolds (1)
2015 (Cavan)–Roland Tong (2)
2016 (Barnadown)–Anne Marie Dunphy (1),
2017 (Cavan)–Anne Marie Dunphy (2)
2018 (Cavan)–Heike Holstein (12)
2019 (Cavan)–Heike Holstein (13).
2020 No Championships – Covid 19
2021 (Barnadown)–Dane Rawlins (1)
2022 (Barnadown)–Dane Rawlins (2),
2023 (Mullingar)–Kevin Acres (1)
2024 (Ballindenisk)–Carolyn Mellor (1)
2025 (Ballindenisk)-Kevin Acres (2)
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