Pessoa backs O’Connor decision to skip RDS Dublin Horse Show

By Mike Dunne

Irish show jumping manager Rodrigo Pessoa said yesterday that he was fully supportive of Cian O’Connor’s decision not to jump at Dublin Horse Show next week in order to preserve his top horse Good Luck for September’s World Equestrian Games in Tryon, North Carolina.

“It’s a decision that we took together,” Pessoa told the Irish Examiner.

“For the schedule of his horse, it’s the best thing to do. It’s a shame but I’m totally okay with him not being there,” the manager said.

O’Connor announced his decision last Friday, and it will be his first time not to jump in front of the Irish supporters since his first appearance at the RDS in 1998.

Pessoa will name his Aga Khan squad tomorrow, and while O’Connor and Good Luck will be a loss to the home Nations Cup effort, the manager is not short of options.

In the five major team outings this term Pessoa has used 13 riders and 14 horses. Barring one blip in France where the team finished sixth, the rest of the season has been more than satisfactory, with three second-place performances and Sunday’s victory at Hickstead.

The September date at the world championships will come with bigger demands but the manager is satisfied the Irish will be well equipped.

That’s another level of horse power and of rider that you need, and there still we have six, seven, eight pairs that are eligible. It’s not all the countries that have this luxury.

Certainly the championship credentials of O’Connor and Good Luck are beyond question, having been part of the Irish team that won European gold last year in Gothenburg where the pairing also took individual bronze. However they have had only one major engagement this term, jumping a second round clear to help Ireland finish as runners-up in the German Nations Cup at Aachen two weeks back.

O’Connor maintains that his decision to bypass Dublin was for the same reason Good Luck has been held back from other venues. “It’s not as if I’m saving him to win trophies everywhere else - I’m only saving him for the World Equestrian Games,” he told the Irish Examiner yesterday. “It’s no secret that Good Luck is one of the best horses for a championship as shown last year. He is hitting super form at the right time as was evident in Aachen and my job as his trainer and rider is to ensure, should he be selected, that he arrives in Tryon in the best possible shape.”

O’Connor will turn attention to supporting two of his students, Max and Tom Wachman, on the Irish squad for the Pony European Championships in Bishop Burton in England in the same week as Dublin Horse Show.

Ireland’s eventing team manager Sally Corscadden was talking positives at the weekend after Irish riders claimed both three-star classes in the home fixture at Camphire International Horse Trials in Waterford. Cathal Daniels netted the CCI3* with Sammy Davis Junior . The CIC3* was claimed by Padraig McCarthy and Mr Chunky with Sarah Ennis and Horseware Stellor Rebound second and Ciaran Glynn’s November Night making it an Irish clean sweep.

This was brilliant for Team Ireland,” Corscadden said. “Our riders produced very professional performances which gives us great confidence in our preparations for the World Equestrian Games.

Cork staged the latest round of the TRM/Horse Sport Ireland New Heights Champions series at Maryville on Sunday with victory going to Gemma Phelan and GRC Acapella ahead of Jessica Burke and Express Trend. There was a dead-heat for third between Dermott Lennon on MJM Pursuit and Darragh Ryan with Rincoola Rua, both of whom posted the fastest jump-off times but at the expense of four faults. The result was good enough for Ryan and Rincoola Rua to take over the lead in the series by one point from Greg Broderick and Duco. Mullingar hosts the next round this coming Sunday.

Saturday at Maryville saw Matt Garrigan and Contino net the National Grand Prix with three seconds to spare over Darryl Walker and Kiss N Fly. Liam O’Meara finished third with Curraghgraigue Jack Take Flight.