‘Expensive’ time faults cost Irish
In a competition that seemed to be over at the half-way stage, Britain almost contrived to throw away a nine-fault lead in the second round and only ran out winners by a single fault to League leaders Germany.
For Ireland, it was a case of did reasonable, could have done better. Fifth place in itself was not what was hoped for, certainly, but, with preparations overshadowed by controversy, the fact the team finished ahead of the last-placed Netherlands means the two countries swap places at the bottom of the League in what is becoming a ding-dong relegation battle.
Corkman Billy Twomey was again the star, lifting spirits with the team’s only clear when last to go in the second round to ensure Ireland finished on 26 faults. However, with Cian O’Connor (Waterford Crystal) and Capt Shane Carey (Killossery) augmenting their score by a single time fault each, the team was left to rue a possible joint third finish with the US and, more importantly, Belgium.
The upshot is that Ireland now lie second last on 14.5 points, two better than the Dutch, with the Belgians, on 17, extending their lead yesterday.
Irish chef d’equipe Eamon Rice was stoic, betraying mixed emotions about wrestling themselves from the bottom of the league, while failing to grab the opportunity to execute it in more comprehensive fashion.
“I’m pleased we got above the Dutch, but the two time faults cost us a good spot. They were expensive,” he said, as he contemplated how Ireland could have provided the necessary cushion going into the cauldron of Aachen in three weeks time.
He conceded that the decision of Jessica Kurten to withdraw from the team had proven costly. The Antrim-born rider pulled out two weeks ago in a much-publicised row with the selectors and her reluctance to compete alongside Cian O’Connor. But Rice said the German-based rider was always welcome to return.
“The door is wide open for Jessica,” said Rice, a member of the selectors committee. “The ball is in her court. If she puts her name forward, you can expect to see it on the team for Aachen.”
He said the selectors would wait as long as possible to name the team for the German fixture.
He did his best to discount disharmony in the camp following weeks of negative press.
“The four of the lads today were fighting all the way,” he said. “Their comradeship was very evident and there is a good team spirit.”
He also joined in the universal praise of Frenchman Frederic Cottier’s course design. Deceiving in the extreme, it caused problems throughout.
O’Connor’s problems came at fence five - coincidentally, it carried the colours of the International Equestrian Federation - and nine in the respective two rounds, allied to a time fault. Clement McMahon and Gelvin Clover failed to match their recent Rotterdam performance, clocking up 12 in each round, with the first part of the treble and the following fence 11 proving costly each time out. For Capt Shane Carey, riding the Clover Hill gelding Killossery, fence six and 11 was his bogey on his first outing. The first part of the tricky treble came into play in round two, with the clock also showing a single time fault. Twomey again showed why he is an important weapon in the relegation battle. His second string Anastasia III demonstrated she is also up to the task. Nevertheless, she fell victim to the triple bar. In the second round, there were no such problems and the Cheshire-based rider agreed he was pleased on a personal level, but disappointed that, overall, it did “not go as well as the team would have liked.”
He said he was confident his first-choice ride, the stallion Luidam, who has been recovering from a sand crack in his hoof, would be ready for Aachen, the penultimate round before the final in Barcelona, where double league points are on offer.
“I jumped him in the six-bar today and he finished fourth, but I pulled him out before the last round to save him,” he said.
Meanwhile, Britain’s win has elevated them to second in the league on 33.5, just 4.5 points behind Germany.
After yesterday’s performance, none would argue against it being fully deserved, the team producing three of the six first-round clears. Thus, they seemed to be cruising at the half-way stage and with Nick Skelton, on Arko III, matching his flawless first round performance, it looked as if a repeat was on the cards. But 16 faults from John Whitaker and Exploit Du Roulard, followed by 12 from William Funnell and the Dutch gelding Cortaflex Mondriaan rubbished that notion. It was left to Michael Whitaker to banish the affliction - but not without using up his insurance - and give his brother John the perfect 50th birthday present.
Britain drifted from 8/1 to 14/1 in the betting before yesterday’s competition. If you get these odds on a league result, an each-way bet may be a consideration.
