O’Connor and Blue Loyd part company

Irish Olympic bronze medallist Cian O’Connor has sold the horse that brought him success at the London Games.

Blue Loyd, a 12-year-old gelding owned by O’Connor, along with Barbara and Charlie O’Reilly-Hyland, has been bought by Austrian-Canadian auto-parts magnate Frank Stronach. It is speculated that the horse is for a family member.

The deal brings to an end a relationship that began just a year ago when O’Connor acquired the horse from Norwegian Nina Braaten.