Geoff Curran and The Jump Jet join Irish eventing squad for WEG
Capt Geoff Curran has replaced Michael Ryan in the Irish eventing squad for the forthcoming World Equestrian Games in Kentucky.
Michael has had to withdraw Ballylynch Adventure due to an injury and first reserve Jayne Doherty has also had to withdraw because of an injury to The Only One.
Geoff has therefore been called up with Maurice Cassidy and the Minister for Defence’s The Jump Jet. The horse completed Burghley Horse Trials last week, finishing 17th.
Irish eventing high performance manager Ginny Elliot said: “This is gutting for Mike Ryan and his owners and it is a great pity as the combination had been going very well. However, Geoff and The Jump Jet put up a very strong performance in Burghley last week and we are fortunate to able to call on such an experienced combination at four-star level.
“The horse has come out of Burghley really well and there are four weeks between the competitions. Both the Army Equitation School vet and our team vet have examined the horse and he is in great form.”
It is unusual for a horse to take on two four-star competitions in such close succession, although back in 2004, Ireland’s Mark Kyle completed both the Athens Olympics — which proved a soft four-star — and a long format Burghley, whose cross-country days were 17 days apart, on Drunken Disorderly.
Although there is a longer journey involved in going to America than to Greece as in Drunken Disorderly’s case, the cross-country days at Burghley and WEG are 27 days apart and both competitions are short format.
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Pippa is a true eventing geek and has been H&H’s eventing editor since 2005. She has first-hand experience of competing up to British Eventing intermediate and international CCI2*-L level, and has worked in the industry on a top event yard. Pippa enjoys nothing more than immersing herself in the sport at the highest level, reporting from the five-stars and international championships, including the Olympics.