RECENTLY honoured by L’Année Hippique, Geneva’s Indoor Cross-Country spectacular brings eventing into the spotlight and is the ideal warm-up to the prestigious IJRC Top 10 Final which follows.

Reigning champion Padraig McCarthy (Rosemaber Lancuest) returned to the Swiss venue as a hot favourite, along with compatriot Cathal Daniels (Alcatraz). Having taken the top two places in Stuttgart a few weeks ago, both were determined to deliver. Second to face the 1,800m course of more than 30 jumping efforts, McCarthy set the target of 166.08 seconds. In hot contention following their late Tokyo 2020 qualification at Boekelo in October, home riders Tiziana Realini (Toubleu de Rueire) and Robin Godel (Grandeur de Lully CH) came close but had to settle for eventual fourth and fifth placings.