Honorary father of the squad Austin O'Connor is ready for fourth Olympics

The tale of O’Connor’s journey to his fourth Olympics is written in the same storybook of most Irish people who reach the summit of excellence in horse sports.

8 July 2024; Austin O'Connor during the Team Ireland Paris 2024 team announcement for Equestrian at The Crowne Plaza Hotel in Blanchardstown, Dublin. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

At the time that Grace Davison was celebrating her very first birthday, the Irish three-day eventer Austin O’Connor was already competing at his second Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008. Well, not Beijing exactly. The Chinese organising committee had moved the equestrian competitions to Hong Kong where O’Connor helped Ireland to an eighth-place finish in the team event.

Aged just 16, the Co. Down freestyle swimmer Davison is the youngest member of the Irish team in Paris. O’Connor, who turns 50 in December is the honorary father of the squad and will be competing at his fourth Olympic games on his talented grey gelding, Colorado Blue. The partnership has been in fine recent fettle and with a fair wind and some luck in running will have a solid shot at a podium finish.