IRELAND’s chef d’equipe Michael Blake was proud of his team who finished fourth at the Longines FEI European Championships in A Coruña, and the two riders who finished in the top seven on the final day of the individuals.

“I think it was a good championship for us,” Blake told The Irish Field on Sunday after its conclusion. “We had horses who jumped very well. We jumped a lot of clear rounds and we were fourth. That was hard, to be fourth, there isn’t even a plastic medal!

“This place [Casas Novas Equestrian Centre] is lovely. There is a canter gallop for the horses, you can see the Atlantic ocean, there is grass for hand grazing, and plenty of space so it has been good; the only thing that hasn’t been good is we didn’t get any silverware.”

Like a lot of people on the ground, the Irish team manager felt there were a lot of clear rounds throughout the championship. Acknowledging that course designer Santiago Varela – who also designed last summer’s thrilling Paris Olympic Games – is among the very best in the world, Blake felt the competition was decided in day one’s speed competition. “When you jump five clear rounds and only move up slightly, it’s just a pity. It was decided on day one and I’m not sure that’s the way a championship should be. Nobody is saying the same horses may not have won anyway; Richard Vogel’s horse is a big jumper, but you take Kim Emmen (The Netherlands), she didn’t have a fault all week and she ended up eighth. The first day mattered too much in my opinion.”

Impressed

Blake was impressed with all the Irish riders. Speaking about Seamus Hughes Kennedy, he said: “Imagine to leave all the poles standing five times and get nothing on the team or get nothing in the individual. It’s hard for him, but this sport is what it is. He has a great future ahead. It just shows how good Seamie is, how good his horse is, how good the system he and Ger O’Neill have together and the trust they have in each other.”

On Darragh Kenny who finished seventh with Eddy Blue, he added: “The first day things didn’t go his way, he got a little stumble, but every round after that was foot perfect, better he was getting.

“Denis Lynch was caught out in the middle of the combination [in the team final] but he rode really well and he’s been a great servant to us this year. Bertram Allen’s horse was maybe a bit green but he will come on for doing the championship; he’s only nine and will have learned a lot.”