Irish jumpers save the day but time for change has come
After all, the team of Shane Breen (World Cruise), Shane Carey (Killossery), Cian O’Connor (Irish Independent Echo Beach) and Billy Twomey (Anastasia III) had defied overwhelming odds to keep Ireland in the elite of show jumping nations.
Vainglorious they were not, for this was no victory. In essence, this was more a case of avoiding defeat. After this year’s turmoil, it would not have been an unexpected post-script to see the team relegated. Equal fourth place, thus, provided the opportunity to renew battle with the world’s top show jumping nations next year.
Again Twomey was the hero of the Irish cause. When nothing but a clear round would do, it was the ice-cool Corkman who answered the call. In Dublin last year, he produced a clear round to give Ireland the Aga Khan trophy and provide the platform for Super League status in 2005. It was a pressure-defying performance ... but a stroll in the park compared to the mandates of last Sunday.
“After all the carry on of this year, it’s just great to get a result,” said Cheshire-based Twomey. “I just tried to concentrate on what I had to do and keep the mare calm, as she is quite sensitive and the occasion can get to her.”
Breen also played a pivotal part, getting the Irish cause off to the perfect start with a clear on World Cruise and, such was the ease with which the pairing negotiated the meandering course, it was a bit of a surprise to see them four fault in round two.
O’Connor’s first-round effort with Echo Beach highlighted the mare’s lack of big-match practice, four-faulting before proceeding to dismantle the treble for a first-round total of 16. His return to the arena in the Real Club de Polo de Barcelona saw his score halved, demonstrating, perhaps, that this was a steep learning curve for the mare.
Capt. Carey also opened well, finishing with four, but the second round saw the Army rider - grieving following the death of his father a number of days previously - accumulate 16 faults.
Fifth team member Dermott Lennon was, surprisingly, left on the sidelines, but he was ever-present during the competition to help his team-mates.
We shouldn’t forget the contribution of Belgian Kristof Cleeran, eliminated in round one and retired in round two, results that consigned his country to the second division.
Ireland’s chef d’equipe John Ledingham praised his charges and, highlighting their esprit de corps, he said: “They pulled together to have a brilliant performance.”
It was a theme taken up by the riders, who stressed this was a team effort in a competition where individuals are only components.
That concordance should be noted by all involved in the process of nations cup team selection. As highlighted above, Barcelona was not a victory, but, in the broader sense it championed the right of riders to demand a management/structure equal to - if not better than - the professionalism demonstrated last weekend.
* CHARLES POWELL is the new president of the Equestrian Federation of Ireland. He defeated Pat Duggan in a vote at the federation’s AGM yesterday.
Powell replaces Avril Doyle, whose tenure lasted four years, the maximum allowed.
Mr Powell is a native of Nenagh, Co Tipperary, where he still resides. He is chairman of the Equestrian Committed of the RDS and chairman of selectors of Carriage Driving Ireland.
Aged 59, he is married to Deborah with three children.
Importantly, the EFI also approved its new memorandum and articles, which allows the federation to move towards the creation of an umbrella body for equestrianism.
Following yesterday’s meeting, Mr Powell said: “The most important thing is to get the umbrella body into being.”
He said he looked forward to working with the Irish Horse Board in achieving this.
* BRITAIN’S Rodney Powell, aboard Run of the Mill, won last weekend’s CCI** at Fermanagh’s Necarne Castle, having led from start to finish.
Opening up with a dressage score of 45, he added nothing in the cross-country, before wrapping up the competition with four faults in the show jumping for a total of 49.
Britain dominated the competition, with Matthew Wright (Grove Doucas) second, 8.1 penalties adrift, and Nicola Tweddle (Endeavour) third on 59.5pens.
Ireland’s Louise Lyons (Watership Down) was next best on 59.6, with Cork rider Patricia Donegan riding Fernhill Clover Mist to eighth place with 66.9pens.
Just 0.1pens separated her from Philippa Mains (Super Seal) in ninth.
Newly-crowned European champion Zara Phillips placed equal 23rd after her horse Red Baron refused on the cross-country.
* SWISS man Jean-Claude Falciola has been appointed secretary general of the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI).
Irishman Michael Stone had earlier this year expressed an interest in the position, following the resignation of Bo Helander.
An FEI statement said: “Mr Falciola’s wide business experience will add significantly to the administration of the FEI, the sports side of which is managed extremely effectively by the Sports Director Michael Stone.”
A recreational rider, Mr Falciola has established close contacts with the International Olympic Committee.
* WHILE the Irish battled under Spanish sunshine last Sunday, Jessica Kürten made hay elsewhere on the Iberian peninsula.
The Antrim-born rider won the grand prix at the four-star show in Estoril, Portugal, riding her Athens Olympic mount Castle Forbes Maike.
German-based Kürten, who refused to compete on Irish teams this year, won at the expense of compatriot Trevor Coyle, who placed second on Over Time GMS. Just over a second separated the Northern riders.
* THE chairman of the Irish Horse Board (IHB) Michael Osborne has resigned. His decision to do so came as a result of ill-health and is a blow to the industry.
Mr Osborne provided the impetus for movement on the setting up an umbrella body for equestrianism.
