Splaine far from defeatist despite Ireland’s poor showing

Ireland show jumping team manager Robert Splaine was far from defeatist after his team’s disappointing performance in yesterday’s Furusiyya Nations Cup at the Discover Ireland Dublin Horse Show.

The competition was won by a US team that rocked, as Bruce Springsteen’s daughter Jessica produced one of only four double clears in the competition. Ireland, however, were out of tune, placing joint second last in the eight-country showdown, a result that saw them fail to qualify for the €2m Furusiyya Series final, while their place in Division 1 is hanging on a thread after finishing the season one from the bottom on the leaderboard.

“Everybody is deflated, but such is life,” said Splaine afterwards. “If we are guilty of anything it is of over-trying, in that we came believing we could win.

If you analyse our year, though, small things have cost us dearly. We are in difficult times, in that emerging countries have bigger budgets. We have good horses, but we are short on great horses and, as a result, we are finding it difficult to win.”

Youth led the way for Ireland, with 19-year-old Bertram Allen (Molly Malone V) and 26-year-old Darragh Kenny (Imothep) providing the team’s only clear rounds, as Cian O’Connor’s mare Quidam’s Cherie showed its inexperience, while Dermott Lennon’s Loughview Lou Lou was among five riders that refused at the Longines treble.

Splaine reiterated, however, that the focus remained on he World Equestrian Games in France at the end of the month. “We are due a change. I would not be all negative about today. Our next big challenge is WEG and the possibility of Olympic qualification and there were factors that came out of today that were significant. I am referring to the clear rounds from Darragh and Bertram and we still have Sunday’s grand prix to take into consideration,” said Splaine, adding that his WEG squad announcement would “probably be next week”.

Splaine felt it was “not a big blow” not to have qualified for the final in Barcelona in October, again citing WEG as the only game in town.

As for Ireland’s chances of retaining Div 1 status next year, which depends on the second-placed country in Div 2 also finishing in the top eight in the Barcelona final, Splaine said: “I think we deserve to be in the first division next year. We await the result in Barcelona. but I think we have a reasonable chance of retaining our place in the top division and I am hopeful.”

Ireland’s performance summed up a season that has seen it fail to fulfill its potential. The first round was marred by the four-obstacle last line, a triple bar, followed by a double, and then an oxer. Kenny and the stallion Imothep and Cian O’Connor aboard Quidam’s Cherie both fell foul of the double, while Allen and Molly Malone V knocked the last, having also lowered fence nine. Anchorman Dermott Lennon was coming out on top in his fight with Alan Wade’s deceptively-tricky course before he too was caught with a sucker punch at the last fence.

This left Ireland second-last at the half-way stage, as the Netherlands and Britain held pole position on zero, with a single fence separating them from Sweden and the US.

Round two saw a temporary resurgence for Ireland to much cheering, as Kenny produced a clear, punching the air as Imothep bucked crossing the finish line, followed by a fault-free round from Allen. O’Connor, however, accumulated faults at the treble and the last, before things got worse when Lennon and his 12-year-old mare were eliminated at the treble, as the team finished on 20 faults.

Meanwhile at the other end of the contest, the Dutch collapsed to leave the Brits and US battling it out for the major share of the €200,000 prizemoney. The latter led the way, producing three clear rounds and, after Britain’s world No1 Scott Brash on Hello Sanctos four-faulted when a clear was required for victory, the Aga Khan trophy was heading across the Atlantic.

It was the first Dublin win for the US since 1993, but the third nations cup win in a week for the 10-rider US squad that has travelled to Europe ahead of the World Equestrian Games. Springsteen’s double clear was matched by Charlie Jayne (Chill RZ). Twenty-one year-old Katherine Dinan (Nougat du Vallet), who had brought her chihuahua Delilah along for good luck, opened with four and also produced a clear, while veteran Beezie Madden (Simon) was the discard in round one and was not required in round two.

One of the biggest shocks of the day was the elimination of the German team.

Like Splaine, O’Connor was stoic. “For sure, everybody is deflated, but nobody is dead. I’m most disappointed for the people behind me. You aim for this all year, so everyone is gutted. What makes us successful over a long time is not to lie down when something like this happens. You’ve got to move on. It’s great to see the young guys do so well in round two. Darragh is one of brightest talents to come out of Ireland for a long long time.”

O’Connor said manager Splaine had made the right calls. “There are a lot of hurlers on the ditch, wise with the benefit of hindsight, but Robert put out the team that was best. It did not work out, as it didn’t work out for Germany.

“We learn from our mistakes. The true measure of success comes over a long period of time. Bad days make you better and it is unfortunate, but you still hold your head high, when you try your best.”

O’Connor remains upbeat of booking his ticket for the World Games in Normandy, as well as conjuring up a successive victory in tomorrow’s €200,000 Longines Grand Prix.

“When I was 18, I would be in a heap after this, but one swallow does not make a summer and I still have a grand prix to do. Who knows, I might jump a double clear.”