Silver lining for Curran

THE injury cloud that kept Captain Geoff Curran and The Jump Jet out of Badminton Horse Trials had a silver lining yesterday, when they won the international class at Ballindenisk Horse Trials.

The Waterford rider was forced out of the British fixture with a soft tissue injury to the Cavalier gelding’s knee, but a clear in Saturday’s show jumping, followed by a powerful cross-country performance yesterday saw them add just 0.8 penalties to their dressage score for a winning tally of 49.3pens.

Capt Curran had a margin of 4.1pens on runner-up Michael Ryan, who was left to rue collecting 5.6 cross-country time penalties with Annestown Emperor, finishing on 53.4pens, while the Bandon-based rider also placed third on Ballylynch Skyport on 57.3pens.

Curran was delighted with his first international win in Ballindenisk, as he mused on what might have been if the injury had not intervened.

“It’s a huge consolation to win here. The Jump Jet was amazing and I would not have ruled out his chances in Badminton, though there is no point in dwelling on that,” he said.

Ryan was stoic.

“I suppose congratulations and commiserations are in order today.

The time cost me, but Annestown Emperor has had some bad luck in previous outings, so I did not push him.

He is definitely one for the European Championships in Germany next September, so there was a lot of pressure today and, overall, I’m delighted to have been placed,” said the Limerickman.

Ryan also had to settle for the runner-up spot in the two-star class on Dromgurrihy Blue, with the plaudits going to Britain’s Fraser Duffy on Fernhill Encore, while Joseph Murphy and Chuckelberry finished third.