IRELAND’S show jumping team clinched the team silver medal at the FEI European Championships for Ponies in Le Mans, France, yesterday (Friday). The team of Charlie Flynn, Ted Fagan, Robbie Sheehan, Sam Widger and Jack Dore finished just over a penalty adrift of the champions Great Britain, and well clear of Belgium in bronze.

Ireland topped the leaderboard in Thursday’s first qualifying round to go into the Friday’s team final in the gold medal position.

Ted Fagan won that opening class with a perfect zero score on Ballyquirke Rosie, and he delivered two more faultless rounds on Friday.

However, when Flynn, Sheehan and Widger all incurred four faults first time out for a team total of eight, Great Britain took over the lead as their riders posted a zero score.

It was all to play for right to the line in the second round with little separating the two teams, but when Irish anchorman Sam Widger had another pole on the floor with BP Bon Jovi while Sophia Rogers remained clear with Neil 55, Great Britain secured the gold on a total of 14.14. Ireland finished frustratingly close on 15.35, with Belgium well in arrears on 38.5.

Fagan’s double clear performance means that he maintains his position at the top of the individual leaderboard ahead of Sunday’s final on a zero score, without a pole in hand over Sophia Rogers on 3.63.

Sweden’s Lilli Mellstrom sits in bronze with a former ride of Kian Dore, Sparkling Lackaghmore Joey, while Robbie Sheehan and Pjotr Van De Groenheuvel are within a pole of the podium, sixth on 7.76.

Widger also lies within the top 10, ninth on 11.59, and Flynn and Montana are just outside it, 11th on 12.05.

Although he will not qualify for the individual final, Jack Dore and K-Little Hero put in an exceptional performance on Friday to deliver one of only a handful of double clear rounds.

Having initially sat in silver after the first day of dressage on Thursday, Ireland’s pony eventing team lie fifth ahead of today’s (Saturday’s) cross-country test in Le Mans.

Team member Anna Radford lies best of the Irish riders in individual ninth, after her test with Essenar Double Dutch earned a score of 31.1. Kitty Cullen is in 13th on 32 with Greenaun Little Russel, while individual rider Ellen O’Neill riding Cadarn D’Heolan just behind her in 14th on 32.3.

Germany currently leads the team standings with two of their riders, Lea Brugger for the team and individual Greta Marie Lohr, in the podium positions of gold and bronze respectively. The host nation’s Noa Pelle lies second, and less than 10 penalties separate the top five teams.

The eventing competition will conclude with show jumping phase on Sunday.

Ireland had no representatives in the dressage competition at Le Mans, where the team competition was won by Germany on a combined total of 224.77. Denmark claimed the silver medal on 220.34 while Sweden was further back in bronze on 214.97.