Splaine hints toward Euro squad with RDS team
This is particularly so as team manager Robert Splaine has said that those combinations lining out in Ballsbridge will not feature in the championships at Mannheim, Germany.
Those bidding to lift the Aga Khan trophy for the first time since 2004 are: Cameron Hanley (SIEC Concept and Royal Star), Captain Shane Carey (River Foyle, Cashla Bay and Killossery), Commandant Gerry Flynn (Mo Chroí), Conor Swail (Rivaal and Nepomuk) and Cian O’Connor (Irish Independent Echo Beach, Conahy Clover and Complete, along with Casper for the Land Rover Puissance).
Jessica Kürten is, according to Splaine, definitely in the championship squad — comprised of four riders and a reserve — and earlier this week fellow-German based rider Hanley said in the Irish Examiner that he felt he had a strong chance with Hippica Kerman, with which he competes in La Coruna, Spain, this weekend.
Another contender is Marion Hughes, who put in a good performance with Heritage Transmission when third in a competitive 1.50m jump-off at the five-star show in
Estoril, Portugal, a week ago and won the grand prix at the three-star show in Vimeiro the previous weekend.
Knocking on the door are Marie Burke, seventh yesterday with Chippison in a two-phase at Hickstead, Shane Breen and the lightly-campaigned World Cruise and German-domiciled rider, Denis Lynch.
Yesterday, though, Cian O’Connor said the door was not closed on him competing in the championships.
He has been prominent this season with his latest acquisition, Complete, but suffered a surprise elimination last Friday in the nations cup at Falsterbo. He wants to build up further form with the gelding before putting him forward again for more nations cup.
However, he also has Irish
Independent Echo Beach, who jumped two nations cups this season, and produced double clears.
“It is still possible that I could be at Mannheim. I have always said that I am available to help the team and I am on the long-list with Echo Beach. Robert has until the end of next week before he must submit his final selection and I am sure he will be looking at shows like La Coruna and Hickstead before he makes up his mind.”
O’Connor also said, though, he was delighted to be at Dublin.
“It has always been important to me, particularly as I am based in Ireland. It is a shop window for me.
“The five riders this year are all of a very good standard and all have had good results, so all have the ability to jump clear rounds. We have a serious chance of winning. I was on the last winning team and have jumped on the team in the last five years with three different horses. Echo Beach jumped a clear second round last year. But we are all on a par and it will up to Robert to pick his team of four,” said O’Connor who was leading rider at the show in 2002 and 2003.
The Meath-based rider is again targeting the Land Rover Puissance, having won three of the last five competitions, including last year.
“I have been practising with Casper and trying to get him geared up for it. He jumped six foot this week and he jumped it well,” he said.
The RDS this week outlined details of the five-day equestrian extravaganza, which boasts a prize fund of more than 700,000. Sunday’s 125,000 Longines Grand Prix and Friday’s Samsung Super League with FEI Nations Cup of Ireland form the features of the 12 international classes. The 35 national jumping competitions are destined to be as competitive as ever at an event that will see well over 1,000 horses and ponies and costs more than 3 million to stage.
IRELAND’S show jumpers saw their lead in the FEI Nations Cup cut to nine points, when they finished last in Falsterbo, Sweden, last Friday.
Elimination for Cian O’Connor and Complete at the treble in round one severely dented Irish hopes and, with Ryan Crumley on Baltimore adding 16 faults, the team finished the halfway stage last of the seven nations and failed to progress to the six-nation second round.
German-based Tipperary rider Denis Lynch and Upsilon D’Ocquier had got the team off to a perfect start with a clear round, while Captain Shane Carey picked up four with River Foyle for a team total of 20.
Denmark capitalised on the Irish misfortune, forcing a jump-off with the US in which the latter prevailed. Nevertheless, second place was enough to earn the Danes nine points.
While Ireland earned four, because they were counting seven scores, they could only bank two points as they had to discard the two they picked up in Hamina, Finland, in June.
Ireland have 69 points, while Denmark are on 60, but still counting only six scores.
Accordingly, any decent result by Ireland next time out will be negated by the fact they must discard their lowest score, the six points scored in Copenhagen. Denmark, on the other hand, can count on all points in the next round.
Also, it would be foolish to discount the Italians yet. On 54 points, they have time to renew their challenge with nine rounds left in the series.
There was some consolation in Falsterbo for Captain Shane Carey, who notched up a brace with the 14-year-old chestnut gelding Cashla Bay.
THE group set up by the Federation Equestre Internationale to examine safety in eventing has been confronted with its first fatality barely a month after it began its work.
Swede Elin Stalberg, 19, was killed three fences from home at an event in Bollnas, Sweden, last Saturday after her horse somersaulted and landed on her. She died in hospital.
Stalberg is the eighth person to die in eventing since last August, when Armagh woman Sherelle Duke, 28, was killed at an event in Brockenhurst Park, England.
The FEI safety group is chaired by US event rider David O’Connor and includes German team trainer Chris Bartle, British eventing team trainer Yogi Breisner, New Zealand rider Andrew Nicholson, French safety expert Laurent Bousquet and course-designer Mike Tucker.
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