IT has been the most amazing few days.
As I huddled around the television in the mixed zone watching yesterday’s eventing final with Irish Independent and FEI journalist Louise Parkes, she said I was ‘jammy’ because I am experiencing this amazing result at my first championship, while others have been waiting years. I think I just brought the luck!
It has been a long time coming, this eventing medal, and for Padraig McCarthy to win an individual silver was the icing on the cake. I mainly cover show jumping back home, so I wasn’t quite as familiar with the eventing team as I would be with the show jumping lads, but I have to say, they have been the nicest bunch to talk to this week.
Sarah Ennis was so gracious in today’s press conference when losing her spot on the podium to Padraig McCarthy, saying that she couldn’t have wished the medal for a nicer person. That is true team spirit.
In my interview afterwards with Sam Watson (on The Irish Field Facebook page), he spoke about his wife Sparkles - “It’s a very honest story. Sparks is unbelievable, we have two kids, Archie and Toby, who are four and five now.
“For the last five years, Sparks has been getting up five o’clock every morning so she can do these international horses before the yard kicks off. She helps me so much. When it doesn’t go well we take the positives and learn together and we move on, and when it goes well it’s a family moment and we just enjoy it.”
I thought it was a very touching moment from a rider who is so passionate about the sport, so driven and so determined. Even after winning the silver medal, as delighted as he was, he said this team medal is a bonus at the end of an enjoyable performance focused year – “It’s been a fantastic journey, it’s great to have the medal but it’s just a bonus.”
Sam’s dad, John Watson, was the last Irish event rider to win a world championship medal when doing so in 1978.
There was so much emotion flying around the pocket area, I can’t quite describe the atmosphere. Maybe I blocked out the other teams, but the Irish seemed to be the loudest and most joyous after the result.
It was great to see the show jumping team, as well as Rodrigo Pessoa and Michael Blake, down around the pocket area during the class, supporting their eventing counterparts. I even met Paul O’Shea walking the course this morning and watching some rounds with Padraig McCarthy.
Padraig is another person at this Games with a fascinating story. He started in show jumping, trained with some of the best in the world, then went and studied for 10 years (!), got a Ph.D, met his wife through the sport and then began eventing, only to now have two silver world championship medals.
I have so many ‘interesting stories’ to tell from these Games already, and I am only three days in.
Yesterday also brought the trot up for the show jumping horses and, thankfully, they all flew through. They will familiarise themselves with the main area today before their first round on Wednesday. So you can expect some lots of show jumping content from here on in.
The weather, just incase you are wondering, it back to 28 degrees and there are no puddles left in Tryon!
A final word for the all the Irish Sport Horses on today’s podium – Team GB’s Quarrycrest Echo and Arctic Soul, and Ireland’s Horseware Stellor Rebound, Horseware Ardagh Highlight and Rioghan Rua. Five from 12, not a bad statistic.
Saturday’s paper will contain the eventing competition results in more detail, with statistics and reaction.
Judith Faherty is attending the World Equestrian Games exclusively for The Irish Field. Full coverage will be published in The Irish Field every weekend. Try a 30-day digital subscription for only €1 HERE