Mood upbeat in Irish camp ahead of Olympics

Talking to eventer Padraig McCarthy this week as he prepared for the startof Ireland’s Olympic challenge tomorrow, the conversation has a recurring theme: Positivity. 

It’s sincere, unrehearsed... and contagious, actually.

McCarthy talks about the mood being upbeat in the camp, repeats it, and is adamant he and his team-mates Clare Abbott (Euro Prince), Jonty Evans (Cooley Rorkes Drift), Mark Kyle (Jemilia) and reserve Camilla Speirs (Portersize Just a Jiff) are not on a Rio jaunt. Hence it’s no surprise to hear him reference Ireland’s first nations cup victory in Boekelo, the Netherlands, last year, as testament to a belief they have what it takes to, if not triumph, at least win a medal in sport’s biggest test.

“Everybody is in good form and keen to get on with it. We are not here to make up the numbers. Everyone here merits their place. It is going to be very competitive, the world’s best are here, and I would include the Irish. We proved in Boekelo we can beat the best, but we need to be at our very best and, if so, we can be on the podium on the last day. That’s our concern, to be on the podium and if we all do our job as individuals, the team will benefit.”

Boekelo last October banished in no uncertain terms a poor outing in the European

Championships at Blair Castle, Scotland, but Devon-based McCarthy said a high-stakes approach of aiming to win was applied to both outings and it saw the team cash-in at the Dutch event.

“Boekelo was a great way to finish the season. We were unfortunate at Blair Castle. We were trying to be very competitive and it didn’t come off on the day. We were trying to win a medal. At Boekelo, we tried the same and it paid off and we will be the same here, we will be trying to do the best we can.”

Taking the approach that this is an event they can win is key, he says.

“Obviously, the Olympics is different to other events, but you can’t lose sight of the fact it is just another event. We have to keep our eye on the ball and treat it as such, and approach it like any other competition.”

McCarthy rides Simon Porloe, a 16-year-old bay gelding, owned by Christopher and Sarita Perkins and Padraig’s mother Theresa. The horse was previously campaigned by McCarthy’s wife Lucy Wiegersma.

“The horse is in good form. He felt very good all year and he’s fresh. He’s a good competitor, always tries his best. He’s not a difficult horse. This is his third championships: He was in Malmo in Sweden for the Europeans with my wife Lucy and was at the Europeans with me in Blair Castle, plus he was first reserve for the London Olympics.

“The horses are at different venue here in Brazil, 40 minutes away, so you have to go by bus. You are given a time slot to use the arena, which has to be organised in advance,” said McCarthy, whose rise to Olympic level has been relatively rapid.

“I was reminded of this recently that it’s only two years since I did my first advance class. I’ve been very fortunate to end up with the right horse at the right time, and the right team around me.”

McCarthy and the other Olympic hopefuls must wait before they get a close-up of the cross-country, which comes into play on Monday.

“We can see it from a distance, and it looks to be well presented, with a good covering of grass,” said McCarthy, who added that the experience gained by Irish manager Nick Turner while filling a similar role in Brazil was proving beneficial in terms of logistics.

* The recently-deceased mother of James O’Haire had a part to play in his victory last Sunday in the CIC three-star at Camphire International Horse Trials in Co Waterford. O’Haire was about the take on the challenging cross-country track on China Doll when he looked skywards and invoked the support of his mother Hazel.

“My mother passed away a month ago and I looked up at the clouds and said: ‘Ma, you better look after me, because I’m going to have a real cut.’ I really went out and attacked it. Ma taught me how to ride and she really looked after me.”

O’Haire said the 10-year-old mare China Doll was due a big win and he has no doubt bigger and better things are in the offing.

“It was my biggest win. We’ve been working hard towards it. “We knew it was coming. I’ve been doing a lot of dressage training with Jane Kinsellain Summerhill, Co Meath, and her brother Ronan Kinsella, who I’ve been doing show jumping training with.

“She’s a serious mare. I broke her and everything she knows I taught her. She’s owned by Dubliner Patricia Heffernan, who bought her as a foal from Ronan Tynan.

“I specialise in producing young horses and most are sold. This mare was never going to be sold. She’s the real deal.” * Having seen the Irish teamof Michael G Duffy (Felix, 0/1) from Mayo, Dublin’s Matt Garrigan (Contino, 0/4), Gavin Harley (Understone van de Kapel, 7/0) from Donegal, and Wicklow’s Max O’Reilly Hyland (Ahmed Du Calvaire, 0/8), strike gold at the European Championships in Millstreet last week, the Cork venue is preparing to welcome over 1,500 horses and their riders, 80 officials and stewards, 300 horse boxes, and over 20,000 visitors for its annual summer show next week.

While competition begins on Tuesday, the first international class is scheduled for Thursday, with the show culminating in the grand prix on Sunday, when 45 combinations will battle for the €50,000 prizemoney.

Indicating the size of the show is the fact the last competition on the schedule is listed as number 105.