Irish riders eye Olympic glory as Tokyo showjumping squad announced
The Olympic showjumping team of three riders, plus the alternate combination and reserve, due to represent Ireland at this summer’s Olympic showjumping in Tokyo have been revealed.
The announcement is Horse Sport Ireland’s showjumping high performance director Michael Blake’s nominations for the Games, which are to be officially considered for selection by the Olympic Federation of Ireland.
The nominations are as follows:
- Bertram Allen, with Aiden McGrory’s nine-year-old gelding Pacino Amiro (breeder: Simon Scott)
- Darragh Kenny, with Lorcan Gallagher & Heathman Farm LLC’s 14-year-old stallion VDL Cartello (breeder: Witt Pferdezucht)
- Cian O’Connor, with Susan Magnier’s nine-year-old gelding Kilkenny (breeder Sinead Brennan)
- Alternate – Shane Sweetnam, with his own and Seabrook LLC’s 11-year-old mare Karlin Van’t Vennehof (breeder: Jos Voeten)
- Reserve – Michael Duffy, with Katherine Duffy and HMF Equestrian’s 10-year-old gelding Zilton SL Z (Breeder: Peter Schollaert)
The official selection of the horse and rider combinations for Tokyo will be made by the Irish Olympic federation in the coming days.
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Lucy is an experienced news journalist, reporter and presenter. Since joining the Horse & Hound team in 2015, Lucy has reported from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships, as well as Badminton, Burghley and London, to name a few. She has covered current affairs and sports news across the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.