Ballindenisk sets sights on Euros

Ballindenisk will host the European Championships in 2019, if the Fell family ambitions are realised.

Some may consider it a little conceited to have such a lofty aim, but on the basis of the improvements in recent years at the Cork venue and the polish evident at last weekend’s fixture, the fundamentals are there.

Unsurprisingly, Peter Fell concurs, but he is also not naive enough to know there are more than a few fences to be jumped yet.

“Yes. Absolutely,” he said yesterday when asked if he believes they have the basis of a good event to build on in anticipation of a bid for the championships. “The feedback from the riders is fantastic and also from our foreign officials. We have spoken at an unofficial level with HSI on staging the championships and the response has been positive.

“We know we need to build on a number of things, but we feel we are close with the infrastructure, particularly in terms of stabling; we bought 168 stables, which was only possible due to Leader funding from the Avondhu/Blackwater Partnership.”

Generating excitement among the non-equestrian community is one area requiring attention.

“The right competition is there, but we need to work on building interest among the public. We also need to have facilities and a package for them when they arrive.

“All of this will happen anyway as, regardless of whether we get the Europeans, we genuinely want to make this one of the best events around. We are learning all the time and we are conscious, too, that this would not have been possible without all the support from officials, volunteers, Eventing Ireland, HSI and our sponsors, particularly our main backer Johnson & Perrott, who are totally committed to building on our success to date.”

Ollie Townend was only too willing to give a testimonial, summing up the feelings among riders: “It would do everybody some good to ride here a couple of times a year,” he said, describing the Fells as “huge triers”. The Briton claimed the top two spots in the CIC short-format three-star to put himself in line for the €50,000 Goresbridge Go For Gold bonus prize if he wins next year’s long-format class in September

Positive, no doubt, but it emerged at Ballindenisk that there is an opinion among some riders that the contract of high-performance manager Ginny Elliot should not be renewed at the end of the year.

One rider, who did not want to be identified, said yesterday: “The high-performance programme is working and the HSI structure is excellent, particularly in terms of show jumping coach Ian Fearon and dressage coach Ferdi Eilberg, and HSI chief executive Damian McDonald and the support staff. However, there is a strong feeling across much of eventing that to build on the achievements so far and to be more competitive there needs to be a change of manager.”

Elliot could not be contacted last night. However, subsequent to the Olympics, where a three-rider Irish team finished a creditable fifth, she said: “The reason I took on the role was to give back to the sport and I really enjoy working with the Irish. I think it would be selfish not to give back to the sport that has given me such joy and success.

“I’d love to bring them on and win an Olympic medal, or a European, or World. I’m quite competitive. I want the best for them and I would like to see the reward that merits their hard work.

“They have a small budget to work with — they are on a shoestring — and considering this, they have done extremely well. HSI and the Irish Sport Council are very good, but what I hope is that somebody in Ireland will help boost the training fund. The training they have received has worked, as was evident over the past few days, but we need more funding for the training to be more extensive. These riders have huge potential.”

* A month after acquiring Wonderboy III, Denis Lynch has offloaded the gelding to its former rider and producer, Briton Georgie Crumley, according to Horse and Hound.

The grey gelding achieved acclaim with Ben Maher after he acquired him in 2008, but in 2010, Syrian teenager Ahmad Saber Hamcho took up the reins. The pairing went out in the second round at the Olympics.

Lynch acquired the now 13-year-old son of Flamenco De Semilly last month in a part-exchange deal that saw Lynch’s talented nine-year-old stallion Contifex (Cornet Obolensky/Coronino) go to 19-year-old Hamcho.

Meanwhile, Peter Charles has revealed that Murka’s Vindicat W has been sold to Bruce Springsteen’s daughter Jessica.

The 10-year-old Dutch-bred gelding — owned by Charles’s wife Tara and his long-term backer Olga White — produced a clear with the former Ireland rider to help Britain win gold in the Olympics, having had a poor opening few days in the run-up to the team decider.

* The West Cork Horse Breeders will stage a horse sale on Sunday, October 21, at Ballybrack Equestrian Centre, Glenville, Co Cork.

The sale is for registered sport horses from foals upwards and comes, according to the group, “as result of a demand from breeders to have a sales venue in the southern region of the country”.

West Cork’s reputation for producing the best of stock — such as Olympic individual gold medallist Custom Made and team silver medal winner Supreme Rock — was emphasised again at the recent Paralympics, through Helen Kearney’s Mister Cool, who won silver and two bronze medals. By Coolcorron Cool Diamond — who achieved success with Ireland manager Robert Splaine — his dam was by the thoroughbred Glaxo Gold. He was bred by John and Yana Verling from West Cork.

While the group recognises the difficult trading conditions in this present climate, it urged prospective buyers to attend next month’s sale, promising “quality horses from the home of good breeding”.