Ireland qualify for Olympics
As expected, Britain retained their title denying second-place France a double, as team member Nicolas Touzaint, riding Galan de Sauvagere, carried off the individual gold. Belgium claimed bronze, almost 60 penalties to the good over Ireland.
Ireland’s achievement came at a high price, however, with Horseware Fabio, ridden by Austin O’Connor and owned by Tom and Carol McGuinness, suffering a fatal accident in Saturday’s cross-country. The Corkman was negotiating fence 15, three steps, when the 12-year-old gelding stumbled, hitting his head.
The upshot was that team members Sherelle Duke (LA Temple Bar) and Patricia Donegan (Don’t Step Back) undertook the cross-country under instruction to come home safe and without elimination to ensure a continuance of the quest for one of the three Olympic places on offer.
Taking the long route at the tricky fences, the vastly-experienced anchorwoman Donegan and the newcomer Duke shook off the shock of the Irish tragedy to promote the team to fourth, as Italy, Germany and Sweden fell foul of Tommy Brennan’s imaginative and deceptively difficult course.
Joined by Sue Shortt and the 11-year-old brown mare Just Beauty Queen in yesterday’s show jumping phase, the trio held a comfortable lead, but still had to complete the competition to book their Athens’ ticket.
Donegan and Duke obliged in the morning, to finish 27th and 28th, respectively as their mounts showed no ill-effects from the ardour of the cross-country. Qualification was assured in the afternoon sunshine, with Shortt jumping clear to finish best of the Irish in 11th place.
The Kildare rider was bouyed by her personal performance, but agreed there were mixed feelings in the camp.
“It’s a shame we did not win a medal, but it is a big bonus to qualify for the Olympics,” she said. “We lost it in the dressage on Friday. Tricia and Sherelle would normally be expected to do a lot better, so we were playing catch-up all weekend,” said the 37-year-old.
Team chef d’equipe Helen Cantillon -O’Keeffe said that, with their Athens aspirations paramount, any thoughts of gambling all on winning a medal were cast aside, particularly in the wake of O’Connor’s tragedy. “We sacrificed the chance of winning a medal for the sake of achieving Olympic qualification. We had to be conservative and take the long routes and ensure all the team finished,” said the Corkwoman.
Britain meanwhile, had double reason to celebrate, taking team gold and individual bronze. Pippa Funnell continued her whirlwind season by producing a clear yesterday to snatch third place.
Team-mate Leslie Law (Shear L’Eau), the only rider to jump clear inside the time in Saturday’s cross -country, placed fourth and former Blarney winner William Fox-Pitt, aboard Moon Man, finished eighth.
France were not displeased with taking silver, always aware it would take something special to overthrow the British. Any sorrow was also compensated by the gold won by Touzaint, who was a worthy winner with a champagne performance in Saturday’s cross-country.
Meanwhile, Captain Gerry Flynn riding Bornacoola, had the only double clear to win the final round of the Kerrygold Grand Prix League at Punchestown on Saturday, with Peter Smyth having already bagged the title.
The Strabane rider was a left as a spectator, however, having broken his ankle, as army riders dominated the final competition. Captain Flynn was joined by two of his comrades in the four-man jump-off. But it was Richie Moloney and Appolinaire who put up the stiffest fight, four-faulting in the jump-off to finish second.
Lt Brian Curran-Cournane (River Boyne) finished third with eight faults. Lt David O’Brien (Boherdeal Clover) left the arena with a 16-fault tally, but his fourth place was enough to see him finish runner-up in the league, earning him €4,000.
Smyth’s first league title saw him go home with a purse of €8,000, with his star mount Zara’s Pride claiming €1,000 as the league’s leading horse.
