IRELAND are now strong favourites to gain two individual show jumping places for the Olympic Games in Rio, as the latest Olympic rankings released yesterday (Friday) by the FEI, shows both Bertram Allen and Denis Lynch holding tickets to Rio for the first time since the qualification process began.

Allen has topped the group A (Western Europe) Olympic standings for a number of months, a position which gives Ireland one place to the Rio Games. However a string of podium finishes at five-star level for Denis Lynch during January has seen the Tipperary rider move into fourth place in the overall Olympic rankings, when riders who have already qualified are discounted.

If Lynch and Allen maintain their positions before the fast-approaching cut-off date of March 6th, Ireland will have two individual places at the Games. However, the decision on who will be given these places will rest with Irish team manager Robert Splaine and Horse Sport Ireland.

Aside from the Olympic rankings, Allen has dropped two places in the latest Longines world jumping rankings, but he remains in the top 10 at number nine on the list.

Denis Lynch had rocketed up the Longines table following a string of five-star podium finishes (see Internationals A58-59). The rider has jumped 15 places to number 25 – five places ahead of Conor Swail who moves up one place to 30.

Cian O’Connor moves up three places to 58, with Billy Twomey jumping six places to 62. Darragh Kenny drops 19 places to 58, with Shane Sweetnam at 91 while Richie Moloney is ranked at 100 in the world.

Britain’s Scott Brash remains as the world number one. However he has a slim margin of just 38 points over second-placed French rider Simon Delestre. Kent Farrington (3), Beezie Madden (4), Penelope Leprevost (5) and Christian Ahlmann (6) complete the top six.

Meanwhile in the dressage world rankings, Kildare’s Judy Reynolds has maintained her position inside the top 50, lying in 48th with Vancouver K. Reynolds also remains on course to gain an individual place at the Olympic Games, if she can maintain her current position.

Germany’s Kristina Bröring-Sprehe and Desperados FRH have taken over the world number one slot for the first time, relegating British duo Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro, who had stood at the top for almost three years.