European team wins gold at Youth Olympics
A British and an Irish rider will come home from the Youth Olympics with at least one medal after Europe won team gold in equestrianism.
Jake Saywell, from Nottinghamshire, and Co Mayo’s Michael Duffy, were on the winning European team at the event in Nanjing, China, today (Wednesday 20 August).
Michael, riding the borrowed horse Commander, jumped clear while Jake received four faults.
“Just to be here is a great honour and makes me feel very privileged, but to get a medal is fantastic,” said 17-year-old Jake.
“It was a lot better second time around. The horse jumped super actually.
“We were a little bit unlucky at the last fence, he just tired a bit. He is a big horse and it is quite humid. Winning the gold is exceptional and it tees me up well for the individual competition.”
Both riders now go on to compete in the individual competition, which starts on Saturday (23 August)
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Filip Agren of Sweden, Lisa Nooren of The Netherlands and Matias Alvaro from Italy, made up the five-man team.
This is the second Youth Olympics — the first held in was held in Singapore in 2010 — and riders compete on borrowed horses.
Showjumping is the only equestrian discipline featured.
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A graduate of Exeter University, Amy joined our news team from Redpin Publishing in 2008 as news writer. She was promoted to deputy news editor in May 2013 and became news editor in April 2015. She left Horse & Hound in March 2016 to take up an editorial position in Dubai.