Irish riders to jump at Abu Dhabi grand prix
Ireland will send its first Nations’ Cup team of 2010 to the five-star show at Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates next month.
The show, where every class carries world ranking points, including a €300,000 Grand Prix, takes place at the Ghantoot Polo Club grounds (3-6 February).
The team comprises:
Cameron Hanley; Southwind VDL
Dermott Lennon; Hallmark Elite
Cian O’Connor; Rancorrado
Billy Twomey; Je t’Aime Flamenco or Tinka’s Serenade or Blue Thunder.
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Horse Sport Ireland team manager Robert Splaine said: “We are delighted to be invited to compete at this prestigious event.
“It is a great opportunity for us, as with the current global recession there may be fewer and fewer five-star shows available to everyone, and this will be an occasion where we can line out some of our top riders and horses.
“With five Irish riders now in the world’s top 50, it is essential that we give them every chance to maintain their form, and Abu Dhabi seems ideal, with not only a Nations’ Cup, but also valuable world ranking points and substantial prize money on offer.”
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A self-confessed newshound, farmer’s daughter and journalist of many years' experience, Charlotte worked on regional papers before joining H&H in 2007. A regular rider, she visited Ireland in 2010 to investigate the fate of Irish horses through the recession, to much acclaim, and reported from the FEI General Assembly in Rio de Janeiro in 2011. She left Horse & Hound in March 2013.