HORSE Sport Ireland high performance eventing manager Sam Griffiths yesterday announced the team, which will represent Ireland at the FEI World Championships in Aachen next month. Selections were made following the recommendation of the high performance eventing selection panel, which is comprised of Griffiths, Declan Cullen and Gillian Kyle, and the independent chair Brian Mangan. Team qualification for the LA28 Olympic Games will be on offer in Aachen, alongside team and individual honours.

Ian Cassells with Millridge Atlantis, Aoife Clark with Full Monty De Lacense, Georgie Goss with Kojak, Padraig McCarthy with MGH Zabaione and Austin O’Connor with Colorado Blue have been named as the team. Susie Berry with John The Bull, Sarah Ennis with Dourough Ferro Class Act, Padraig McCarthy with Pomp’n’Circumstance and Joseph Murphy with Calmaro have been named as reserves.

Speaking after the team was announced, manager Griffiths said: “It’s been a really tough selection process. We probably had eight or nine combinations who had good justification to go, and I feel sorry for the riders who have missed out, but it’s a reflection of the strength and depth we have now at senior level. It’s great to see, and it’s a good dilemma for our selectors to have. We know we’re going to come up against some very strong competition, but I feel with the team we have, we can be competitive. There’s still a way to go with our final preparations, but we’re feeling confident.”

Meanwhile, Horse Sport Ireland’s high performance jumping manager Jessica Kürten announced the team, which will contest the FEI World Championships for Show Jumping in Aachen on Wednesday. The squad has been named as Bertram Allen with Qonquest De Rigo, Darragh Kenny with Eddy Blue, Cian O’Connor with Chatolinue PS and Shane Sweetnam with James Kann Cruz. Denis Lynch and Vistogrand have been named as travelling reserves, while Daniel Coyle with Gisbourne VDL and Jordan Coyle with Chaccolino are non-travelling reserves.

The selected squad will head to Aachen off the back of an outstanding run of form and, speaking after the announcement, manager Kürten said: “It’s a great team of horses and riders, who have grown throughout the season to develop into strong championship contenders. I’m excited to go to Aachen with outstanding riders and fantastic horses. My thanks go to their owners and their grooms, who have put so much work into this journey to the championships.”