RARELY has there been as much interest or excitement in eventing dressage results for Irish teams as has been generated in the past two days by the excellent Irish performance at Deodoro.
Consistency across the board, which saw all four Irish riders – Padraig McCarthy, Clare Abbott, Jonty Evans and Mark Kyle – produce personal best scores at this level has placed the team in overnight fifth place going into tomorrow’s cross-country phase.
Evans (individual ninth) is also positioned in the individual top-10 after some exceptional canter work with the Courage II gelding Cooley Rorkes Drift resulted in a penalty score of 41.80.
The overnight leader William Fox-Pitt retained his lead with Chilli Morning (37.00), as did second-placed Christopher Burton (AUS) and Santano II (37.60). However reigning Olympic champion Michael Jung (40.90) was edged into fifth place today by Mathieu Lemoine and Bart L (39.20) and Ingrid Klimke with Hale Bob (39.50). Both produced precise, accurate tests to also lie within one show jump of Fox-Pitt, whose incredible comeback from injury is the stuff of dreams.
Another French rider Thibaut Vallette and Qing Du Briot (41.00), followed by Belgium’s Karin Donckers (41.10) with Fletcha Van’t Verahof and Germany’s Sandra Auffarth with her 2014 World Equestrian Games champion Opgun Louvo (41.60), are also placed ahead of Evans.
He initially lay in fifth place after his test when he showcased the 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse’s canter to earn a steady collection of eights from judges Marilyn Payne (USA), Andrew Bennie (NZ) and Sandy Phillips).
THRILLED TO BITS
“I’m thrilled to bits, he couldn’t have done anymore today,” an elated Evans told The Irish Field afterwards. “I did about three circles [waiting for the bell] and because he’s got such a lovely canter, the plan always was to present the canter before we went in the arena but we were cantering and cantering and I was ‘come on!’. But when they opened the boards, I just said to him ‘Let’s do this!’.
Padraig McCarthy is the next best-placed Irish rider in equal 26th place. His calm under pressure attitude saw him as the team’s pathfinder yesterday and he was another rider clearly delighted with his horse’s test yesterday, even when he threw in what he described as his ‘usual trademark spook.’
“He had to get that in, he’s got that little pony brain. You can try to dominate him so he doesn’t do it but then you don’t get that nice picture. I was really, really happy with him,” said McCarthy.
He was confident about how the 16-year-old would cope with the next phase, rating the Polish-bred as “very rideable.”
In equal 29th place is Clare Abbot with the Irish Sport Horse Euro Prince, bred by Cormac McKay who also has a Beach Ball filly foal half-sister to the four-star horse.
Abbott was another looking forward to Pierre Michelet’s stiff course today, which has been a huge talking point amongst the riders and trainers.
“We’ve been doing CICs this year so I cannot wait to ride a four-star course, gallop for 10 minutes and give the time a good rattle!” said the part-time maths teacher.
Mark Kyle (50.90) was the final Irish rider on Sunday afternoon and he completed a 100% rate for all of the Irish squad recording personal best scores at this level.
“I’m very happy with her, she kept it all together and really coped with the surroundings. We got to come in here to the main arena three times [this week] and ride around to get them used to it” said Kyle, who is competing at his third Olympics.
Kyle is another looking forward to the cross-country challenge, saying: “I think it’s going to be very influential tomorrow, I don’t think it’s going to be a dressage competition.”
ERROR-FREE
Maintaining constant form was the reason for the Irish team’s success and focusing on error-free performances was the key to today’s strong result, according to Eventing High Performance Manager Nick Turner.
“The reason they were selected, each and every one of them, was on the back of what they’ve been doing. So the advice was to keep going doing what you’ve been doing,” he said.
“It’s very easy to get excited and want more and more and more when you get to this environment, and that’s when mistakes happen. So it’s about keeping a lid on it, keeping it measured and focus on delivering clear rounds and tests with no mistakes,” a clearly satisfied Turner commented, before going on one final course walk.
Ireland currently lie in the same position (fifth) in which the 2012 team finished at London.
Current team standings: 1, Germany; 2, France; 3, Australia; 4, Great Britain; 5, Ireland; equal 6, New Zealand and USA; 8, Italy; 9, Brazil; 10, Sweden.
INDIVIDUAL TOP 10 AFTER DRESSAGE
1. William Fox-Pitt (GBR) Chilli Morning 37
2. Christopher Burton (AUS) Santano Ii 37.6
3. Mathieu Lemoine (FRA) Bart L 39.20
4. Ingrid Klimke (GER) Hale Bob 39.50
5. Michael Jung (GER) Sam FBW 40.90
6. Thibault Vallette (FRA) Qing Du Briot 41
7. Karin Donckers (BEL) Fletcha Van’t Verahof 41.10
8. Sandra Auffarth (GER) Opgun Luovo 41.60
9. Jonty Evans (IRL) Cooley Rorkes Drift 41.80
10. Stefano Brecciaroli (ITA) Apollo Vd Wendi Kurt 41.90
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