EQUESTRIAN SPORT: Peter Charles, a member of Ireland's European gold medal team last summer, has won the Irish Field trophy as leading show jumper for the 2001 season.

Charles, who took individual honours at the 1995 Europeans, scooped victories in both the La Baule and Hickstead jumping Derbies last year, as well as winning the Derby Trial at Hickstead, all with the mare Corrada, which he rode on the gold medal team in Arnhem, Holland.

He wound up his season by scoring in the World Cup qualifier at Olympia in London just before Christmas with Carnavelley. This is the third time the Hampshire-based rider has won the award, having taken it in 1995 and 1996.

Anna Merveldt-Steffens, who took the Irish Field dressage trophy for 2000, has won again for her 2001 record, which included a 14th-place finish at the European championships.

Born in Kildare but now based in Germany, Merveldt-Steffens switched from her European ride Darius to the less experienced Fosbury in the latter half of the year but still notched up some impressive placings to move back into the top 50 in the world rankings.

Sarah Ennis has won the Irish Field trophy as leading senior event rider for 2001. The Dubliner, who notched up three national victories during the season, took the Scarvagh House international by storm to win the feature three-star event at the Co Down venue.

Unfortunately, her mare Killossery Katriona sustained a muscle strain in her hindquarters on the Scarvagh cross-country and, although she had been named as a team member for the European championships in Pau, Ennis and the mare remained at home.

Individual bronze medallist Michael Kearins took the Irish Field award for leading young show jumper and Phillipa Peters, with two individual silver and two team bronzes to her credit, won the young event rider trophy.

The awards will be presented at the Kingswood Country House Hotel in Dublin today.