Olympics Showjumping and Eventing teams have been announced

Horse Sport Ireland has nominated the athlete/horse combinations for consideration by the Olympic Federation of Ireland (OFI) to represent Team Ireland in Show Jumping and Eventing at the Paris Olympic Games.

Show Jumping High Performance Director Michael Blake and Eventing High Performance Director Dag Albert made their selections this evening for the Games, with the competitions taking place in late July.

Blake selected Daniel Coyle with Legacy, Cian O’Connor with Maurice and Shane Sweetnam with the Irish Sport Horse James Kann Cruz for nomination to the OFI.

The P Alternate Athlete/Horse combination will be Bertram Allen with the Irish Sport Horse Pacino Amiro, and reserve combinations also nominated are listed below.

Blake said: “It is the greatest honour for an athlete to be chosen to represent their country at an Olympic Games and I’m delighted to have chosen these athletes for consideration for Paris.

“We are enjoying an excellent period of Irish jumping at the moment and it is testament to the riders and all of their teams who look after the horses at home, and when they compete, that they have all reached such a high level.

“The athletes and horses I have chosen have been performing brilliantly, week-in-week-out, on the international stage and we’ll give it everything we have to achieve what we’re setting out to do.

“I would like to thank the Olympic Federation of Ireland, Sport Ireland, Horse Sport Ireland and everyone involved in show jumping in Ireland for their support and I hope we’ll do everyone proud.” 

The following combinations have been selected as non-travelling reserves and are listed in alphabetical order, who will travel to the designated Horse Sport Ireland holding camp, should one be required:

Denis Lynch (Co. Tipperary) with Brooklyn Heights, owned by Molly Ohrstrom

Mark McAuley (Co. Louth) with GRS Lady Amaro (ISH), owned by SNC McAuley Equestrian. 

Eventing High Performance Director Albert selected Susie Berry with Wellfields Lincoln, Sarah Ennis with the Irish Sport Horse Action Lady M and Austin O’Connor with Colorado Blue for selection.

The P Alternate Athlete/Horse combination will be Aoife Clark with Sportsfield Freelance, and reserve combinations also nominated are listed below.

Albert said: “It is an honour and privilege to be leading the Irish team into the Paris Olympic Games this summer and I’m absolutely delighted with the athletes and their horses, who have been raising their performances as we have gotten to this point in the selection process.

“The strength and depth we have in Irish eventing currently is probably at its highest ever and it made the decision difficult, as the athletes and their horses really pushed each other to make it to Paris.

“It is a huge undertaking for themselves to reach this level and also their teams at home to have the horses performing at the levels required to reach an Olympic Games – I’m extremely proud of them all.

“I must thank Horse Sport Ireland, Sport Ireland and the OFI for all their support of the team and riders, and of course the eventing community in Ireland for always backing us.”

The Eventing combinations nominated for consideration for selection, in alphabetical by the OFI are:

Susie Berry (Co. Down) with Wellfields Lincoln, owned by Sue Wilkinson and Anne Marling.

Sarah Ennis (Co. Dublin) with Action Lady M (ISH), owned by Andrew Cox and Susanne Macken.

Austin O’Connor (Co. Cork) with Colorado Blue, owned by the Salty Syndicate.

The following combination has been selected as P Alternate:

Aoife Clark (Co. Kildare) with Sportsfield Freelance, owned by the Freelance Syndicate.

The following combinations have been selected as team alternates and are listed in alphabetical order:

Ian Cassells (Co. Dublin) with Millridge Atlantis (ISH), owned by Fiona and Gerry Leahy.

Robbie Kearns (Co. Limerick) with Ballyvillane OBOS (ISH), owned by Richard Ames.

Jennifer Kuehnle (Co. Laois) with Polly Blue Eyes, owned by Hans Kuehnle.

Lucy Latta (Co. Wexford) with RCA Patron Saint, owned by Lesley, David and Alison Crampton.

Padraig McCarthy (Co. Tipperary) with Pomp N Circumstance, owned by Rachel and Sarah Gough.

Joseph Murphy (Co. Westmeath) with Calmaro, owned by Richard and Tanya Ames, Claire and Charlie Mayne, and Annette O’Callaghan.

Austin O’Connor (Co. Cork) with Isazsa, owned by Lesley Rose.

Sam Watson (Co. Carlow) with Ballyneety Rocketman (ISH), owned by Hannah and Sam Watson.