Shane sweet on Ireland’s Euro chances

SHANE SWEETNAM is not discounting Ireland nabbing a medal at this month’s European Show Jumping Championships, but said everything would have to go the team’s way.

However, he said Olympic qualification remains the primary goal and anything else will be a bonus.

“To make sure of qualifying for London we have to be at our best, but if everything else comes together, we have a good chance of a medal. It is definitely our best team. In Dublin, we were close to winning, so we have every chance.”

Sweetnam was selected for the championships on Thursday by manager Robert Splaine, along with the remainder of the team that placed second in the nations cup in Dublin last month — Billy Twomey (Tinka’s Serenade), Denis Lynch (Lantinus or All Inclusive) and Nicola FitzGibbon (Puissance).

Niall Talbot (Nicos De La Cense) sealed his Madrid place through a good performance in the final leg of the FEI Nations Cup Series in Rotterdam.

The Europeans, starting on September 13 in Madrid, are the last throw of the dice for Olympic qualification. To achieve this Ireland must finish in the top three of countries not already qualified.

But US-based Kanturk rider Sweetnam said it would be an injustice if Ireland did not make London. “It would be a big disappointment not to qualify. It is a must,” he said.

- TOMORROW’S Banteer Show has been moved to Millstreet due to forecasted poor weather.

Five arenas will operate and all proceeds will go to St Joseph’s Foundation in Charleville. Last year, the show generated €8,000 for the foundation, whose chief executive is Cork football manager Conor Counihan.

A superb schedule of competitions is topped by the 1.35m Greyhound Night Grand Prix, boasting €3,000 in prizemoney and €4,000 for the league winner, with Tholm Keane, Francis Connors and Seamus Hayes battling it out for honours.

Enquiries: 086/2574746.

- IRELAND’S Elizabeth Power is in a strong seventh place going into today’s cross-country at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials in Lincolnshire, England.

Power, daughter of show jumper Con Power and sister of Grand National-winning jockey Robbie, scored 43.3 penalties in her dressage with Kilpatrick River, leaving her just four penalties adrift of leader, Britain’s Simone Deitermann (Free Easy).