CAMERON Hanley’s young Irish team of Paul Kennedy, Michael Duffy, David Simpson and Anthony Condon finished sixth in Thursday’s FEI Nations Cup at Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates. The first five-star Nations Cup of 2017, which was part of the Middle East division and didn’t count as point scoring for Ireland, was won by an experienced French team.
Galway’s Michael Duffy (23) got Ireland off to a good start with Alan Burnell’s Belcanto Z and was posting what looked to be a certain clear round only for slight misunderstanding on the turn to the final planks to finish with a very unlucky four faults.
Derry-born David Simpson followed with an eight fault round aboard Chessy 17, the 13-year-old Elm Rock LLC-owned mare dropping an early pole and faulting at the last element of the triple combination, which caused problems throughout the day.
The track was built to full 1.60m height but the degree of difficulty wasn’t overpowering and nine riders managed to navigate a clear in the first round. Limerick’s Paul Kennedy (24) was one of those for Ireland, aboard his brilliant home-bred Irish Sport Horse Cartown Danger Mouse.
The 11-year-old mare by Harequin de Carel, bred by Kennedy’s mother Jane, made the course look easy, praised by the commentator as the best ridden round of the day. Anchor man for team Ireland was Waterford’s Anthony Condon, who finished with three fences down with his own and Kat Taylor’s Balzac.
France, Qatar and Italy were tied on four faults after the first round. Ireland were in joint fifth place with 12 faults.
STRONG FRENCH SIDE
The French team looked strongest from the outset, with Rio Olympic team gold medallist Philippe Rozier and Rahotep de Toscane getting them off to the perfect start with a clear round. Rozier went on to post one of two French and just three double clears in the competition.
Frédéric David (Equador Van’t Roosakker), Adeline Hecart (Pasha Du Gue) and Patrice Delaveau (Aquila HDC), who was also double clear, made up the team that finished on four faults to take the title.
Duffy returned as first line rider in round two and got Ireland off to the best possible start with a foot perfect clear round aboard the lovely Berlin-sired 11-year-old gelding Belcanto Z. Simpson also managed to improve his score with Chessy 17 and was unlucky to have a foot in the water for four faults after leaving all the fences standing.
Ireland’s hopes of climbing the standings were dashed when Kennedy, whose mare did not look like touching a fence, returned home with four faults in the second round, failing to clear the tall 1.60m vertical four from home.
Condon was again the discard score in the second round, finishing on eight faults, leaving Ireland with a final tally of 20.
Speaking after the competition, chef d’equipe Cameron Hanley said: “I would have been happier with a higher placing but there were a lot of positives today. This was a great opportunity for a young team to compete at five-star level. Both Paul Kennedy and Michael Duffy had great rounds and were unfortunate not to jump double clear and David Simpson and Antony Condon both improved second time round.
“Personally for me, even though I wasn’t riding myself, it was a great experience a honour to work with the Irish team.”
Qatar took the runner-up place on the podium, finishing on eight faults, followed by Italy in third on a team total of 12. Germany and Switzerland were equal on 16 faults for joint fourth.
The team from the United Arab Emirates made history by qualifying for the FEI Nations Cup Final in Barcelona for the very first time, to the delight of the home crowd.
The home nation finished in seventh place and, crucially, ahead of Saudi Arabia to claim one of the two the qualifying spots, with third-place Qatar securing the other.