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.