It may prove an omen that Cian O’Connor rides Good Luck in today’s Furusiyya Nations Cup at La Baule, France, but the Olympic bronze medallist believes the team has enough ability to create its own fortune.

It was a father/daughter affair for Britain’s legendary Whitaker family in the €50,000 Grand Prix at Millstreet International Horse Show yesterday, with Ellen winning the class and Steven taking the top prize in the Great Britain and Ireland Tour.

Briton Ollie Townend doubled his chances of pocketing a €50,000 bonus next September when victorious with the Irish-bred Douglas at Ballindenisk International Horse Trials in Cork yesterday.

Capt Geoff Curran trained his sights on Ollie Townend at the Johnson & Perrott Land Rover International Horse Trials in Ballindenisk yesterday, ruing that the Briton’s superb performance in the dressage had blown away what would generally be considered a respectable score from the Army officer.

For most riders, the thrill and examination provided by the cross-country is the main attraction in eventing, and Vittoria Panizzon is not alone in finding that the dressage element lacks the same excitement.

The show jumping community at Millstreet International Horse Show was yesterday basking in the sun and Cian O’Connor’s Olympic bronze medal-winning performance.

A shortlist of 10 riders and 11 horses has been put together for Olympic consideration by Team Ireland Equestrian’s eventing high performance manager Ginny Elliot.

Camilla Speirs holds second place after dressage in the CIC short-format three-star at the Tattersalls International Horse Trials in Co Meath.

Michael Ryan was his usual assured self yesterday after riding Dromgurrihy Blue to equal 10th in the dressage phase of the Irish Field CCI three-star class at Tattersalls International Horse Trials.

Ireland has won places for 13 horses and 11 riders in Badminton Horse Trials, something eventing high-performance coach Ginny Elliot yesterday described as “fantastic”.

NEXT MONTH’S Ballindenisk Horse Trials has attracted a stellar line-up, according to the organisers.

SHOW jumper Denis Lynch has risen to second in the Rolex World Cup league table following his fifth place with Abbervail van het Dingeshof in Mechelen, Belgium, yesterday.

JAYNE DOHERTY yesterday smiled her way through her dressage test at the European Championships in Luhmühlen, Germany, and she had reason to continue doing so at the end of day one when placing a creditable 14th with The Only One on 51 penalties.

JAYNE DOHERTY’S dressage performance yesterday saw her the Irish standard bearer in the CCI three-star class at Tattersalls Horse Trials.

THE injury cloud that kept Captain Geoff Curran and The Jump Jet out of Badminton Horse Trials had a silver lining yesterday, when they won the international class at Ballindenisk Horse Trials.

CONTRASTING fortunes defined the opening day for Ireland’s World Cup challengers, with Billy Twomey finishing 16th in the first of three finals and Denis Lynch suffering elimination.

JESSICA KÜRTEN has handed over the five horses owned by Georgina Forbes, with speculation mounting that Frenchman Roger-Yves Bost will be the new rider.

YOUNG rider Gerard Clarke continued his barnstorming run in the HSI Chippison Spring Tour in Barnadown, Co Wexford.

SHOW JUMPER Billy Twomey yesterday rejected the notion that he is on rescue mission for Ireland at the Alltech World Equestrian Games (WEG) in Kentucky.

IRELAND’S bid for eventing glory at the Alltech World Equestrian Games in Kentucky got off to a disappointing start yesterday.

MARK KYLE and Step In Time will lead off Ireland’s challenge today as the eventing competition begins at the Alltech World Equestrian Games in Kentucky.

CAPTAIN GEOFF CURRAN and eventing high performance manager Ginny Elliot are confident the Army officer’s mount, The Jump Jet, will be fighting fit for the Alltech World Equestrian Games in Kentucky.

HORSE SPORT Ireland (HSI) has opted to send the full complement of six horses to compete in the eventing competition of the Alltech World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, USA.

JESSICA KURTEN hit top gear at the four-star show in Antwerp, Belgium, claiming a BMW 116i car.

IRELAND’S show jumpers did enough yesterday to move from the bottom of the Meydan Series, when fifth in the Dutch nations cup at Rotterdam.

CIARAN GLYNN took over the best-of-the-Irish mantle in the HSBC World Cup Qualifier at Tattersalls, Co Meath, yesterday, when slotting into eighth at the end of the dressage phase.

TATTERSALLS IRELAND managing director George Mernagh was delighted and relieved yesterday to say the Meath venue’s international horse trials will go-ahead this year, but conceded that failure to save it would have dealt a huge blow to Ireland’s equestrian reputation.

THE Federation Equestre International (FEI) says it will issue a judgment in the case involving show jumper Denis Lynch today.

SHOW JUMPER Billy Twomey believes his victory in the grand prix at the Horse of the Year Show is proof his stallion, Je T’Aime Flamenco, has the potential to go all the way.

IRELAND’S eventing team finished eighth overall yesterday on 276.10 penalties as the competition ended with the showjumping phase in Hong Kong.

Ireland’s team of Patricia Ryan, Niall Griffin, Geoffrey Curran, Louise Lyons and Austin O’Connor finished eighth with 276.10 points after the showjumping phase of the equestrian competition in Hong Kong today.

FOUR jumping clears from Ireland’s eventers in yesterday’s cross-country phase at Hong Kong moved them up two places to eighth in the 11-country competition.

IRELAND’S eventing high performance coach Ginny Elliot put a brave face on Ireland’s Olympic prospects after the team finished the dressage phase 10th of 11 teams in Hong Kong.

Horse Sport Ireland coach Ginny Elliott was still optimistic this morning about Ireland's hopes after the dressage phase of the Three Day Event in Hong Kong left the team in tenth place of eleven teams competing.

If first impressions count, the Hong Kong Jockey Club is off to a good start as far as Olympic event rider Captain Geoff Curran is concerned.

TIPPERARY show jumper Denis Lynch put himself top of the Global Champions Tour leaderboard on Saturday, when he placed fourth in Monte Carlo.

IRELAND’S hopes of achieving an Olympic qualifying place at the European Championships in Rome were dashed on Saturday when Sally Corscadden, riding Millridge Kalmar, retired four fences from home during the cross-country phase.

AS Sally Corscadden led off the three-rider Irish eventing team at the European Championships in Rome yesterday, moves to achieve “positive change” were underway back home.

IRELAND’S eventing team competing in next week’s European Championships has been dealt a severe blow with the withdrawal of Lieutenant Geoff Curran following an injury to Balladeer Alfred.

IRELAND were lying in ninth place of 14 countries last night following the completion of the dressage phase of the eventing competition at the World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany.

IRELAND’S eventing team coach Lars Christensson yesterday said the riders at this week’s World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany were aiming for the best result in honour of Sherelle Duke, who died tragically last weekend.

IRELAND’S show jumpers dropped to the bottom of the Samsung Super League yesterday, after finishing second last in the German Nations Cup in Aachen.

ELEVEN years ago, English event rider Matthew Wright came to Ballindenisk and was on his way to victory with his pony when he fell at the last fence.