Ireland go into the team final of the European Showjumping Championships at the San Siro racecourse in Milan, Italy (30 August-3 September), just 0.69pen behind leaders Germany after four brilliant performances from the Irish riders on day two of the competition.
Ireland finished the day in fourth position, but it is so tight at the top of the team leaderboard, that less than one point separates the top four teams headed by Germany, Sweden and Switzerland.
Michael Duffy and Cinca 3 opened proceedings for the Irish squad with a solid clear, which also kept them in the hunt for the individual medals.
“It’s easy to be confident on a good horse – anyone can be confident on a good horse,” he said modestly of the 14-year-old mare who was previously ridden by Great Britain’s Scarlett Charles but had previously gone to the Tokyo Olympics with New Zealand’s Daniel Meech.
Ireland’s second combination of Trevor Breen and his home-bred Highland President produced an eight-fault round, which would be the team’s drop score, over a testing track set by Uliano Vezzani.
“We had a fantastic start so I’m absolutely gutted to have two down,” said Trevor. “I was just a tiny bit too far off the oxer after the water. We talked about it and I thought it was a bit short for six, but it didn’t ride that way for me. We were just a bit too far off it and he clipped the back rail. Then the line to the last fence was very short for us but my horse is very responsive, he waited, and then I put a bit of leg on and he had the front pole. I’m just gutted because that didn’t feel like an eight fault round to me, he jumped unbelievably.”
European Showjumping Championships: “We’re feeling very positive”
Shane Sweetnam and the talented 10-year-old James Kann Cruz followed by posting another zero score for Team Ireland.
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“He jumped great – it’s a very tricky course that Uliano has built, very technical, very short down that line coming home. But it’s more technical than killer, and big,” said Shane. “We’re feeling very positive and everybody’s jumping well, but you have to take it round by round and it’s still a long way till tomorrow evening. My mum will be at mass tomorrow morning and hopefully she’ll say a few prayers for us – we always need a bit of luck.”
Eoin McMahon and Ludger Beerbaum’s mare Mila just toppled one rail to add four faults to Ireland’s total score, leaving Ireland snapping at the heels of the podium-placed nations ahead of Friday’s final decider between the top 10 teams, which also includes Great Britain.
“I thought everything was going well and I just got a bit stuck in that corner,” explained Eoin. “She barely breathed on the the back rail, but she jumped her heart out. It was extremely tough – I didn’t expect it to be as big or as technical today, I thought that was maybe a course more for tomorrow. So it will be interesting to see where he goes with it tomorrow.”
With it being so tight at the top of the leaderboard, Eoin added: “I’d have been more confident if I’d been clear! But there’s the toss of the coin between first and fourth.”
Michael Duffy said: “We need three clears tomorrow, that’s for sure.”
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Jennifer is passionate at showjumping and her role as H&H’s showjumping editor has taken her around the world reporting from shows and interviewing riders, connections and those involved behind the scenes. Since joining H&H from BBC Sport in 2005, she has written on every subject across the equestrian sphere — from turnout rugs to stable management — and has interviewed gold medallists, world champions and winners galore. She also has first-hand experience of working in the equestrian industry as a riding instructor and yard manager.
