Derry's Daniel Coyle and Team Ireland qualify for Olympic showjumping final

A brilliant performance from Michael Blake's Irish Show Jumping team of Cork's Shane Sweetnam, Derry's Daniel Coyle and Meath's Cian O'Connor, has seen them comfortably qualify among the 10 teams that will go forward to tomorrow's (Friday) Olympic team final in Paris.

Shane Sweetnam was first to jump for Ireland with the Irish-bred James Kann Cruz (ISH) and they finished with just one fence down for a four fault score.

That was followed by a superb clear round from Daniel Coyle with the mare Legacy, before Ireland's anchor rider Cian O'Connor and Maurice finished with one fence down and a time fault. Ireland finished today's qualifier on a total score of 9 faults in a combined time of 230.22 which left them in sixth place of the 20 teams that started the competition.

Ireland will be joined in the final by Germany, USA, Great Britain, Netherlands, France, Sweden, Belgium, Israel and Mexico. Meanwhile Switzerland, Canada and Brazil were among the high profile teams who have missed the cut for the final. 

All 10 teams will start the final on a zero score, with the competition starting tomorrow at 1pm Irish time.

BREEDING:

JAMES KANN CRUZ (ISH) – 2013 gelding by Kannan (KWPN) out of CSF Telly Cruz (ISH) by Cruising (ISH)[TIH]. Breeder: Patrick Connolly. Owner: Gizmo Partners LLC.