Ireland’s Olympic hopes dashed as Corscadden bows out in Rome
With Corscadden out, the team was reduced to two, thus failing to meet the three-rider requirement to proceed to yesterday’s show jumping phase.
However, the two remaining riders continued in the battle for individual honours, with Louise Lyons riding Watership Down to a creditable 20th place, jumping clear in the cross-country and adding four faults in yesterday’s show jumping to end on 87.2 penalties. British-based Corkman Austin O’Connor finished in 27th with Hobby Du Mee on 101.4.
The championships were Ireland’s last chance to qualify a team for next year’s Games and the result will confirm for many the poor logic behind the decision of former Eventing Ireland performance manager Lars Christensson to select a team of just four riders.
The Swede, who resigned immediately after making his selection two weeks ago, could have sent six riders, but suggested horses of sufficient quality were not available.
After he quit, an Eventing Ireland panel backed his decision.
Subsequently, however, the team was reduced to three when, based in England en route to the championships, Lieutenant Geoff Curran’s mount, Balladeer Alfred was found to be injured.
The remaining three riders proceeded to Rome, but without a discard score it was always vulnerable, as Corscadden’s withdrawal proved.
Eventing riders have called a meeting on September 24 to “create momentum for positive change”, with horse owners meeting the following day.
Britain’s European dominance continued yesterday when they picked up their seventh consecutive team title.
Individual gold went to Frenchman Nicolas Touzaint on his 2003 Punchestown winner Galan De Sauvager, with a winning margin of almost 12 penalties on Briton Mary King and Call Me Again Cavalier.
