IRELAND are now strong favourites to gain two individual show jumping places for the Olympic Games in Rio, as the latest Olympic rankings released yesterday (Friday) by the FEI, shows both Bertram Allen and Denis Lynch holding tickets to Rio for the first time since the qualification process began.

Allen has topped the group A (Western Europe) Olympic standings for a number of months, a position which gives Ireland one place to the Rio Games. However a string of podium finishes at five-star level for Denis Lynch during January has seen the Tipperary rider move into fourth place in the overall Olympic rankings, when riders who have already qualified are discounted.