Michael Ryan out to prove Olympic credentials at Badminton
The Bandon-based eventer placed an impressive ninth last year with Ballylynch Adventure and this year is aiming to again set out his stall in terms of proving his Olympic credentials.
“My minimum requirement? I would be hoping to do the same as last year. It is a big ask and anything better than that is a bonus, realistically,” said Ryan ahead of his dressage performance yesterday which saw him score 52.8 penalties, just 0.7 more than last year, putting him in 30th place provisionally.
Ryan speculates “it could be my eighth time” when asked how many times he has negotiated the Gloucester course. That’s not to say he is blase or cocky, but he is not without confidence, which is founded on the belief his mount is ready for the challenge, despite his only prep run being a solid performance two weeks ago on home-turf in Ballindenisk.
“The horse feels better this year. With the bad weather this spring, I may be short one cross-country run, but he has tons of experience and maybe he doesn’t need as many runs.
“He had a good run in Ballindenisk. Of course, I would have loved to have had a second run, but I think Ballindenisk has done enough to prepare him for this weekend. In fact, he feels fresh and maybe that means he could be a bit bolder,” said the Limerick native.
If he’s looking for an opportunity to show that Adventure should be part of the Rio squad, Ryan feels the cross-country at Badminton more than fulfills the requirement.
“The course is stronger this year. It is quite intense from the third fence until the end. There is a lot of galloping and, while the ground is good, it is 12 minutes long. That’s a true four-star test. They have definitely beefed it up, but they have to live up to their four-star status. I’ve no problem with that. The direct routes will take bravery, but the long routes are very long, so they will cost in terms of time.”
In a year when Ireland has depth to its squad, there is no guarantees that a good performance will convince Ireland manager Nick Turner that Ryan should be on the plane to Brazil, with next month’s Tattersalls the last opportunity for his rivals to stake their claim.
However, Ryan feels he can produce the goods again this weekend, having delivered on the big stage last year, he being the only team rider to complete the punishing cross-country at the European Championships at Blair Castle for a 14th place finish.
“Ballylynch Adventure is 16 and I’ve nothing to prove with him. At the start of the year, our owners, Carol and Tom Henry, again said they would love to see the horse do Badminton and I planned a route that best suited him in terms of preparation. Assuming we do well in Badminton, I think the horse has everything required to line out at the Olympics,” said Ryan.
At the conclusion of yesterday’s dressage, the flag-carrier for Ireland was Sarah Ennis, the Meath rider marked down for an impressive 43.6 penalties on BLM Diamond Delux to lie seventh. Camilla Speirs on Portersize Just A Jiff is next best in 21st place with 49.9pens.
Joseph Murphy on DHI Top Story earned 54.9pens to stand 33rd of the 38 riders in action yesterday, with the Mullingar native the last rider to undertake dressage today on Sportsfield Othello.
No German has won Badminton, but Michael Jung and his compatriot Andreas Ostholt are giving it a good shot. Jung, who flew straight to Badminton after his victory in Rolex Kentucky on Sunday, earned 34.4pens with La Biosthetique Sam FBW to lead Ostholt on So Is Et (38.2pens), the two riders earning the only sub-40 marks of the day.
- Bertram Allen was in top gear at the Longines Global Champions Tour show in Hamburg, Germany, yesterday, winning a Mercedes car. It is the sixth car to be won by the 20-year-old, who, with Molly Malone V, had a mere eight-hundredths of a second to spare over Brazilian Rodrigo Pessoa Citizenguard Cadjanine Z) in the speed contest.
The Wexford native lines out in the lucrative grand prix tomorrow and then rides Romanov in Sunday’s Global Champions League contest. Allen again joins his Valkenswaard United team-mate Britain’s John Whitaker, the pair putting their five-rider team top of the league following their win in Miami.
- RTÉ 2 is to broadcast a series on Olympic hopefuls, with Cian O’Connor among 10 athletes featured. If the promo video for ‘Road To Rio’ — youtu.be/TLGIt9VUjTw — is any indication, the series is a must-see. The first programme goes out next Wednesday at 8.30pm.
