Sally Parkyn

WITH 167 days to go before the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, Horse Sport Ireland has confirmed the current squad of 10 event riders, together with 14 horses, vying for selection.

The squad includes five former Olympians Aoife Clarke, Mark Kyle, Joseph Murphy, Austin O’Connor and Michael Ryan, as well as former WEG riders Sam Watson and Clare Abbott.

The list is almost identical to the one issued last autumn, but with the addition of Aoife Clark’s young horse Wasting Light, who filled the runner-up in the CIC*** in Ravenna, Italy last October.

The complete squad is as follows:

  • Austin O’Connor (Balham Houdini and Kilpatrick Knight)
  • Joseph Murphy (Westwinds Hercules and Sportsfield Othello)
  • Aoife Clark (Fernhill Adventure and Wasting Light).
  • Clare Abbott (Euro Prince)
  • Sam Watson (Horseware Lukeswell)
  • Jonty Evans (Cooley Rorkes Drift)
  • Mark Kyle (Jemilla)
  • Cathal Daniels (Rioghan Rua)
  • Padraig McCarthy (Simon Porloe)
  • Michael Ryan (Ballylynch Adventure and Dunlough Striker).

    • All bar two of the horses listed – Padraig McCarthy’s Simon Porloe and Mark Kyle’s Jemilla – are Irish Sport Horses. Keeping his options open, team manager Nick Turner has gathered together a squad of youth and experience, both in the rider and equine ranks.

    At just nine years old, Rioghan Rua and Wasting Light are the babies of the group, while Simon Porloe and Ballylynch Adventure will be aged 16 if they make the final cut. On the rider front, 19-year-old Cathal Daniels is the only member not to have taken part in a major senior championship, but his cool head and huge experience in the under-age ranks will stand him in good stead.

    “It’s good to keep the mix and to keep the balance,” reflected Turner. “As long as the horses are fit enough, they are in contention.”

    One notable omission is the partnership of Sarah Ennis and Stellor Rebound, who racked up a glut of international placings last spring but have not evented since June.

    “The list is reviewed bi- monthly,” said Turner. “I have to be sure that all are in full competition work, and from my experience things always change once the season starts. As soon as Sarah is back in full competition mode, I will be delighted to add her to the list.” All the listed riders have received regular training throughout the winter, both in Ireland and Britain. Ian Woodhead has been in charge of the dressage, Gerry Flynn the show jumping, and Turner himself providing much of the input across the country.

    “I’m very excited by the work we have been doing, and as long as we keep the wheels on the wagon, we should have a strong list to choose from,” he said.