IRISH eventing got a massive boost on Monday afternoon when, after an epic weekend of eventing at its toughest, Austin O’Connor finished third at the Badminton Horse Trials. The result marks the best Badminton finish by an Irish rider since 1983 (40 years ago) when racehorse trainer Jessica Harrington was third with Amoy.

The 48-year-old three-time Olympian was at his absolute best with the Kate Jarvey-bred Colorado Blue who was eighth here last year and 13th at the Tokyo Olympics. The pair produced a personal best dressage score of 31.9 to be 34th after the first phase, before riding the best round of the day across Eric Winter’s cross-country to rise to second place. When crossing the finish line, the Salty Syndicate-owned gelding, who is fondly known as ‘Salty’, looked like he could go out again.

Slipping one place in the show jumping was naturally disappointing as the 14-year-old is normally rock solid and jumped clear here last year, but a podium finish was a dream come true.

“Naturally I’m a bit disappointed, but I’m here, I’m on the podium and I’m sat beside two of the best riders in the world and that to me is pretty amazing. If you put it in racing terms, it wasn’t his ground to jump out off today, but I think his performance yesterday [cross-country] was extraordinary, and I wouldn’t change him for the world,” O’Connor said in the post-event press conference.

Boost

“The result is personally great for me, but it’s even more important for Irish eventing and I hope it will really give it a lift. Watch this space, there will be an Irish winner of Badminton in the next four or five years… I hope you’re looking at him!”

Speaking to the The Irish Field the day after the competition when safely home in Oxfordshire, O’Connor said: “Salty has come out of Badminton very well physically. He will have an easy time now and we will start making plans in a few weeks’ time but for now he will have a good break. There is no decision yet what the plan for the rest of the year will be, we will sit down with the owners in a few weeks and see.

“For the owners, it is just the stuff you dream off, for it all to come together like it did and to hang on in there on the podium.”

Asked if it was the best moment of his career so far, O’Connor said: “It will probably take a few days to sink in… it’s been a mad day! I always knew he was a very very good horse and I was always hopeful that he would produce a result like this. It was a privilege to be in that line-up with those riders, we are all just delighted.”

The ultimate aim for the gelding is another Olympic Games next year. “Naturally that would be amazing… but the nature of the sport is that you have got to wait and see and we will take each event as it comes. If everything is going well and we are in with a shout of another Olympics that would be amazing.”

The William Miflin Memorial Trophy was also awarded to O’Connor as the competitor, with no cross-country penalties, to finish closest to the optimum time.

Bred at Mellon Stud in Co Limerick, Colorado Blue is by Jaguar Mail out of the Rock King mare Rock Me Baby who has produced multiple top horses, including the other Tokyo Olympic Games horse Balham Mist, Hush A Bye Baby (CCI4*) and Ventura Rock (CCI3*).