‘We live and we learn’: frustration as Ireland fails to qualify for Paris 2024 at Europeans

There was disappointment for Ireland at the European Dressage Championships, after several unfortunate incidents collided to leave them languishing in 16th place in the final team rankings.

Ireland headed out to Riesenbeck, Germany, with hopes of a strong team performance, and perhaps even bagging an elusive qualification slot for the Paris Olympics. Sadly it was not to be, with no Irish riders through to today’s grand prix special either. Nonetheless, Ireland have shown that there is plenty of talent within their ranks, and much to be excited about.

The Ireland team’s European Dressage Championships fortunes took their first blow with the withdrawal of Sorrell Klatzko and the 10-year-old Totilas son Turbo before the start of the grand prix.

With the team down to three, Abi Lyle got their campaign underway with a gutsy test on the 12-year-old Fabregas son Farrell. Unfortunately, three big errors dragged their marks down, and despite numerous highlights and lots of potential shown, they finished on an uncharacteristic 64.07%.

The experienced combination of Judy Reynolds and Anna Merveldt held Irish hopes in their hands on day two of the European Dressage Championships grand prix.

Judy was here with a new ride, the 13-year-old Rock Forever gelding Rockman Royal NG, who was making his championship debut. Sadly, their test was slightly compromised by the fact that Rockman had suffered a reaction to an insect bite the evening before, and Judy reported that it “left him feeling a little flat” in the ring.

“I just didn’t feel like I had all the energy I would normally have in the ring, and that was the reason for the two big canter mistakes I had,” she explained, after finishing on a lower-than-expected 63.4%.

“Yesterday evening he had a reaction, and had little bumps everywhere. He is a sensitive skinned horse anyway, and luckily it went down with some cooling and he was fine this morning, but I felt he was just lacking that last 10% we needed. In the canter especially, the tank was running a little on empty.”

But Judy also said she was delighted with a lot of the work Rockman did produce in the ring, especially the first two sets of piaffe-passage, where they have previously struggled.

“In the last piaffe we had a bit of a miscommunication; he wanted to go out after four steps and I said, ‘Hang on’. I probably said woah a bit with the hand instead of just with the body. And then he loses his security – he gets his hind legs under so much and he doesn’t know how to get out.

“But he has improved so much this year and I’m proud of him for going in there,” added Judy. “We live and learn.”

“Championships are always different – but we didn’t make a mess!”

It was Anna who provided the team’s highest grand prix mark, posting 67.99% with her faithful Lusitano stallion Esporim.

Italy-based Anna has been flying the flag for Ireland since 1990, when she made her championships debut at the World Equestrian Games in Stockholm, and she says she loves the job as much as ever.

Esporim has been her trusty partner for four championships now. Theirs was a good test, though with an expensive mistake in the canter zig-zag, but overall Anna was pleased with how the stallion coped in the high temperatures.

“For him it is difficult in the heat, and I was trying to conserve his energy. He tried his best and on the whole I’m pleased we got through it, and we didn’t make a mess!” said Anna, who added that she cut down her warm-up by 15 minutes due to the heat.

All in all it was not the team outcome that Ireland wanted – or expected – but as Anna pragmatically pointed out, “Abi doesn’t usually get 64, Judy doesn’t usually do 63 and I can do more than 67. But championships are always different.”

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