RISING to the challenge to represent Ireland at the forthcoming Olympic Games in Japan is Kildare’s dressage rider Heike Holstein who will take up the reins in the individuals.

A crucial part of Ireland’s ‘Dream Team’ of Judy Reynolds, Anna Merveldt and Kate Dwyer, who secured the historic qualification at Rotterdam for an Irish dressage team to contest the Olympics, no doubt there will be a huge green wave of support for Heike. She leaves this weekend for Rotterdam with her home-bred Sambuca before the mare goes into quarantine at Aachen and then onto Tokyo for the ultimate challenge.

We wish Heike and Sambuca every success and all the luck in the world for their epic journey in what the skilled rider described as a ‘rollercoaster year’ (see Judith Faherty’s adjoining article).

Heike will be well on her journey by the time the legal appeal gets underway on Monday to the decision by HPD coach Johann Hinnemann and Horse Sport Ireland not to nominate a replacement team after a series of circumstances dictated the non-availability of Holstein’s Rotterdam teammates.

We will be bringing readers all the latest news and updates as we begin our Tokyo coverage this weekend (see page 76).

Tributes to Tiggy

It was both uplifting and very fitting to see the many tributes paid by riders at home and overseas, to the late Tiggy Hancock. From RDS pony qualifiers (see page 71) right up to international show jumping, eventing and racing, yellow ribbons and armbands were wore as a mark of respect to the remarkable Tiggy who captured everyone’s hearts.

That says it all.