Eventers seek momentum for ‘positive change’

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.

The impetus comes from the riders, who have called a meeting on Monday, September 24, in Tattersalls in a bid to give some focus to a sport, that, for many, has lost its direction recently.

A notice on the Eventing Ireland website this week said that the meeting was being called “in response to recent events”. It continued: “We would encourage all riders to attend. The objective of the meeting is to collate the views of the riders and generate constructive suggestions of the best way forward. We hope the meeting will create momentum for positive change. The meeting is supported and encouraged by Eventing Ireland and will be chaired by Clayton Fredericks, chairman of the Event Riders Association, as an independent third party.”

By recent events, those who posted the notice are sure to mean, for one, the resignation of performance manager Lars Christensson.

Yesterday, rider Michael Ryan said the meeting was about finding the best way forward.

“We are looking at how to move forward in a positive way. This isn’t about looking back. We want to maintain the momentum that was there before Lars resigned. The riders are in the dark as to the reasoning behind a number of decisions made this year and we want clarification,” he said, without going into specifics. The Bandon-based Limerick man added: “This is about strengthening the lines of communication and we will also be looking at setting up an association for riders.”

As is well known, Swede Christensson quit a fortnight ago, just after announcing a team of only four riders for this weekend’s championships, in which Ireland are bidding for Olympic qualification.

Fears about his decision not to select a full complement of six riders came home to roost when Lieutenant Geoff Curran’s mount Balladeer Alfred went lame last week while in England en-route to the championships in Pratoni del Vivaro.

What bewildered many, though, was the decision of an Eventing Ireland panel — president Lord Carew, Jean Mitchell and Jessica Harrington — not to accede to a request by chef d’equipe Brendan Corscadden to replace Lt Curran. The view was that horses of the required calibre were not there and that the focus should be kept on the long-term picture, i.e. it was not a case of just making up the numbers.

This, however, leaves Ireland without a discard score, . adding further to what is already a tough assignment.

Sally Corscadden gave the team a reasonable start yesterday on Millridge Kalmar, but chef d’equipe Brendan Corscadden — Sally’s husband — felt the horse’s relative youth was evident.

“It could have been better. He was a bit green in places, but he is only a nine-year-old, one of only two in the competition. With a little bit of tidying up he could have been in the forties. In particular, he was a bit tense in the flying changes and began to anticipate them.”

Corscadden said his team — which also includes Corkman Austin O’Connor on Hobby Du Mee and Louise Lyons on Watership Down — would be bold in its approach to tomorrow’s cross-country, without being reckless.

“The course is very hilly and is quite strong. The direct routes are very testing, but we are planning on taking almost all of them. At the moment, we are considering only one long route, but we will decide tomorrow.

“All three riders are very positive about the course. We realise that we have to go for it,” he said.

As for the debate about not to grant his request for a fourth rider: “The three best horses we have are here. There are no horses that would have been better than this and I quite understand why a replacement was not sent.

“The team has pulled together and all the hassle before we left has spurred them on. Hopefully, our actions on the pitch will justify actions of late off it.”

In that regard, qualification for next year’s Olympics would do a lot to dampen criticism. To book a ticket for Hong Kong, Ireland must place in the top two, excluding those already qualified: Germany, Britain and Sweden.

O’Connor has the capability of putting himself and the team on a solid footing today with a good dressage, while Lyons will be looking to improve on the 61 she achieved at Thirlestane recently.

Meanwhile, the EFI yesterday said it had received a report into Christensson’s resignation and is “being considered”.

* MICHAEL RYAN practices what he preaches in terms of maintaining momentum (see above). Having won the Blue Grass League on Master Mexico recently, the combination backed it up with a solid performance that saw them place ninth in Blenheim last weekend, scoring 52 in dressage, with 13.6 cross-country time faults.

“We are absolutely delighted with his performance, particularly as he is only an eight-year old. He jumped a double clear, one of only two out of more than 90 horses that started the competition,” said Ryan of the bay Master Imp gelding.

“He was bought two-and-half years ago by Donal and Valerie Healy of Midleton to aim for next year’s Olympics. He was acquired specifically to stay in Ireland and the result at Blenheim is indicative of the rewards for owners. If we fail to qualify for the Olympics this weekend, then we will target the World Equestrian Games in 2010 in Kentucky. We plan to compete there next year to familiarise ourselves with the venue. Without the backing of the Healy’s this would not be possible,” said Ryan,

* SECOND place in last Friday’s Czech Nations Cup along with three individual wins ensured a productive outing for the Irish riders at Prague.

The team performance saw Ireland move to 82 points and extend its lead in the FEI Nations Cup Series to 10 points, with Denmark moving back into second place. Italy are third on 63.

Commandant Gerry Flynn on his Dublin grand prix winner Mo Chroí and Conor Swail on Rivaal produced double clears. Cian O’Connor opened his competition with four faults on Irish Independent Echo Beach, but kept a clean sheet on his second outing, while Captain Shane Carey and River Foyle scored four in round one and did not return for round two of the 15-nation contest, as Ireland finished on a team total of four, just one behind winners Britain in a tightly-fought contest. Germany were third on eight, one less than Ireland’s promotion rivals Denmark.

Cmmdt Flynn made a determined bid for victory in the grand prix with Mo Chroí, but the Longford man to settle for the runner-up spot, three-quarters of a second behind Austrian Jurgen Krackow on Looping 33. When it came to speed, Capt Carey was in the Ferrari class. Partnering Cashla Bay, he won two classes, one by more than four seconds and the second by the more pedestrian two seconds.

Cameron Hanley was also in a rush in Chantilly, France, winning a two-phase contest by more than a second on SIEC Royal Star.

O’Connor had shown the way, when winning a big tour speed contest by two seconds with his 10-year-old chestnut gelding Complete.

* MARION HUGHES was the clear winer of the grand prix at the three-star show in Comporta, Portugal, last Sunday.

The Kilkenny woman, riding Heritage Transmission, was the only rider to produce a clean sheet.

In doing so, she denied former Irish team-mate Peter Charles. The Hampshire-based veteran transferred his allegiance back to Britain this year. He was well up on Hughes’s time, but his four faults on Murkas Pom d'Ami ensured an Irish win.