Tattersalls event gets go-ahead

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.

Speaking a day after announcing the World Cup event would not become the latest victim of the recession, Mernagh said cancellation would have been devastating for the sport here.

“To not go ahead would have been very damaging to Ireland’s standing. Unfortunately, however, the economic downturn as highlighted by the huge falloff at Tattersalls November sales, meant there was no way we could go ahead as planned. So, we had to pull out all the stops to secure funding. We are very fortunate to be able to run it and, ultimately, it was down to Horse Sport Ireland (HSI), Eventing Ireland [which put up 20,000] and the support of individuals, who want to remain anonymous,” said Mernagh, as he confirmed the prizefund would be less than last year’s 79,000.

In December, the board of Tattersalls Ireland said that due to the “economic downturn in the Irish bloodstock industry” it could no longer underwrite any shortfall in funding for the event, won last year by Capt Geoff Curran and Kilkishen against a strong international field.

However, talks with HSI — the major contributor after Tattersalls — coupled with efforts to find private sponsors, resulted in a positive outcome on Wednesday, with Mernagh confirming the event would go ahead on May 28–31.

In a statement, he said: “While we are delighted to be able to confirm that the 2009 event will now proceed, the industry in Ireland is still going to have to decide on strategic priorities in these difficult times. It is clear that no private individuals or companies are able to finance the running of international eventing in Ireland. Without international competition, it is not possible to showcase the sport and our riders cannot gain the necessary experience in competition to represent the country.”

HSI chairman Joe Walsh said: “This is a genuinely world-class event that was voted the sixth best in the world by international riders last year. The fact that it is going ahead is a real boost to equestrian sport.”

Tattersalls also confirmed that they would be setting up a joint taskforce with HSI to look at ways of further enhancing the profile of the event with a view to finding additional sponsors for 2009 and to ensure it is sustainable in future years.

However, Mernagh could not rule out further difficulties in 2010. “A lot depends on our sales returns for the year. Tattersalls is a private company with private shareholders and we are answerable to them.

“But Tattersalls has invested a huge amount of money in Ireland. It would have made sense for them to walk away from the event and, while the thoroughbred industry is our core, Tattersalls is also committed to supporting the non-thoroughbred sector,” said Mernagh, who confirmed the second running of the two-star international show jumping fixture would also go ahead as planned in July.

JESSICA KÜRTEN lines out in Zurich this weekend, bidding to add to the 20 World Cup points she picked up as winner of the qualifier at Leipzig, Germany, last weekend.

Returning after completing the remainder of her suspension, the German-based rider was in devastating form with Castle Forbes Libertina in a 13-horse jump-off that saw her repeat her 2008 win. Georgina Forbes’s mare accompanies the Antrim rider again this weekend, as does Quibell, and a repeat performance would almost certainly guarantee Kürten her ticket to the April finals in Las Vegas.

Cian O’Connor and Rancorrado finished a creditable third to Kürten last weekend in Leipzig, but this week he ventures to the four-star show in Amsterdam. Along with Aileen Bryan’s gelding, he also has Complete and Splendour. Corkman Billy Twomey is also Dutch-bound, riding his Belfast and Bermingham grand prix winner Je t’Aime Flamenco, Goldex and Fantasia.

Joining them is Denis Lynch. The Tipp rider did not make the World Cup class at Leipzig, collecting nine faults in the qualifying competition with Nabab’s Son. While he would dearly love another shot at Zurich this weekend, he must wait for Bordeaux (Feb 6-8) and Gothenburg (Feb 19-22) to add to the 12 points he has accumulated to date.

Swiss-based Thomas Ryan gets the Irish slot at Zurich, the 23-year-old Thurles rider saddling up his 2008 Samsung Super League finalist Urleven Van De Helle, Gran Carthago and Bolzano Van De Loise Heide.

SHANE SWEETNAM is part of a 10-man team who will take part in a battle of the sexes with 10 women this Saturday in Palm Beach, Florida.

The US-based Kanturk native and Amaretto D’Arco finished runner-up to Rodrigo Pessoa and Let’s Fly in the World Cup class at Green Cove Springs, Florida, last weekend, ensuring an early celebration ahead of his 28th birthday on Monday.

This weekend, however, he teams up with compatriots Darragh Kerins and Jonathan McCrea and seven others in a $55,000 men-versus-women competition sprinkled with medal-winning Olympians and featuring some of the sport’s elite.

The event features three contests: a speed derby, a race, in which a male and female gallop side by side over identical courses and a finale over a six-bar series of jumps.