Millstreet riders heap praise on O’Connor’s bronze medal exploits
The consensus among riders at the Cork fixture was that the win deserved unqualified celebration, a sentiment also shared by Tipperary show jumper Denis Lynch, according to his brother and manager Shay.
Lynch was destined for London, only to be replaced by O’Connor, but Shay said the Dubliner’s achievement with Blue Loyd warranted recognition.
“It is great to see a medal come back to Ireland. You don’t get a medal, unless you deserve it and I know Denis is delighted for Cian and also that the 14 months Denis spent securing the place for Ireland proved worthwhile,” said Shay.
While O’Connor forfeited the gold medal he won in 2004 in Athens after Waterford Crystal tested positive for banned substances, the feeling in Millstreet was that this had been confined to history.
“Without a shadow of doubt it is worth celebrating. It is one of the greatest achievements in world sport,” said rider Mark O’Sullivan, who was in London to witness O’Connor claim his medal.
The Waterford man, winner of the Millstreet Grand Prix in 2010, said what happened in Athens was no longer of any significance.
“He has been the backbone of the Irish team in the past eight years and has paid his dues.
“It is a terrific boost for the sport, sponsors and the owners. Blue Loyd was bought in November and what an experience that owner has had in the past week,” said O’Sullivan, who felt it might encourage others to invest.
Captain Michael Kelly was also in no doubt as to how O’Connor’s accomplishment should be viewed.
“It is fantastic for the sport and it is a great achievement for a guy who originally wasn’t even selected to go... he’s an unbelievable man.
“For somebody like me looking on who wants to progress to the next level, he’s the guy I look to. He’s an inspiration, for definite.”
Teenager Sorcha Murphy recalled that she had been at a training clinic given by O’Connor.
“He was really helpful and months later he spotted me at Dublin Horse Show and made a point of asking about my horses,” said the 19-year from Mayo.
British nations cup rider Guy Williams took first blood in the international classes yesterday at Millstreet on Trevor Coyle’s Bijou Van De Vikfheide and said his first impression was that it was “a lovely, busy, busy show”.
He said Irish show jumping was right to embrace O’Connor’s bronze medal win.
“He’s done his time and what happened is in the past. It’s a great achievement,” said the rider from Kent, who was part of last year’s British bronze-medal winning European Championships team.
Williams had almost a third of a second to spare in winning the 1.50m speed class — a qualifier for Sunday’s €50,000 grand prix — over Frenchman Roger Yves-Bost on Castle Forbes Vivaldo Van Het Costerveld, with Peter Smyth and the Limmerick-sired Victoria Rose the best of the Irish in third.
An Irish rout in the subsequent two-phase was led by Alexander Butler, the Meath rider and Lowhill Ambassador beating Eddie Moloney on Foxy Cleopatra R by two-hundredths of a second. Ger Clarke slotted into third with Ardragh Stein
Captain Geoff Curran, riding The Jump Jet, was among the first to taste victory in Millstreet, winning the 6-year-old section of Wednesday’s National Eventing Discovery contest ahead of West Cork’s Brian Morrison on PJ Hegarty’s Fenya’s Elegance, with Katy Harrington third on Jantar.
The action is ramped up today with the €23,000 world-ranking class, as well as a six-bar class, while tomorrow guarantees excitement with the speed derby.
Meanwhile, O’Connor’s medal win is not, in truth, Ireland first at Olympic level as, in 1996 at Atlanta, Dublin dressage rider Joan Salmon, who lost her sight as a result of diabetes, was awarded bronze when she won the freestyle test in the Paralympic Games.
lIRISH young rider chef d’equipe Sally Corscadden this week named the following squad to take part in the Eventing Championships at Malmo, Sweden, this weekend: Katie Nolan (Kilbeg Cool Diamond), Jessica O’Driscoll (Mr Beau Jangles), David Hannigan (Red Baron) and Shane Power (TLB Interactive.)
Melanie Young competes as an individual with Riverstown Express.
* Camphire International Horse Trials is definitely one for the diary, last weekend copperfastening its reputation.
Obviously, the main effort went into ensuring top-class competition, but the organisers’ emphasis on the family-friendly aspects meant for a big attendance.
Sam Watson, making his debut at the west Waterford fixture, said he would definitely return, if only to defend his win with Horseware Bushman in the feature three-star. Watson was in pole position after dressage, but added four in the show jumping to fall behind Sarah Ennis on her 2011 two-star winner BLM Diamond Delux. The latter, however, relinquished her lead in the cross-country when slower by four seconds, handing victory to the Carlow man.
Ennis, nevertheless, had plenty of reason to smile after dominating the CIC two-star class for the third year in succession, this time with Westwinds Hercules, while there was further proof of her ability when taking the runner-up position on Horseware Malachi. Bandon-based Limerickman Michael Ryan rode Drumgurrihy Blue to third.
The CCI two-star saw England-based Austin O’Connor score by a big margin. The Mallow native, riding Balham Houdini, added just 3.6 penalties on the cross-country to his dressage score to end on 49.2 penalties, over 23pens better than runner-up Fraser Duffy on Fernhill Ultimate.
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