A PROMISING start sees the Irish show jumping team go into the first round of team competition at the FEI European Show Jumping Championships in fourth place on 8.11 penalties after the first qualifying round in Gothenburg, Sweden, today.

Switzerland lead the way with 5.51 penalties, ahead of France (6.78) and Sweden (7.21). Ireland are less than a fence off the leaders.

After a difficult opening Table C class, where four seconds were added on to the finishing time for every four faults, Shane Sweetnam finished best of the Irish in eighth place after a foot perfect round with Chaqui Z (Chacco-Blue x Quinar Z /), finishing in a time of 79.89 seconds.

Cian O’Connor sits in 10th place overnight with Good Luck (Canturo x Furioso II). That combination were on their way to posting the second fastest clear round of the day (76.20) but a tight turn back to the double on the final line saw the second part fall for four seconds to be added on to finish in 80.20 seconds.

Denis Lynch was another victim of the penultimate fence, when the big jumping All Star 5 (Argentinus x Alme) caught the first part of the double behind to finish in a time of 83.21. He lies in 22nd place ahead of tomorrow’s round.

First out for Team Ireland in the morning, Bertram Allen was riding a brilliant round with the 10-year-old grey stallion Hector van d’Abdhijoeve (Cabrio van de Heffinck x Utrillo van de Heffinck) but an unfortunate stop at an oxer after coming on a long distance meant his chances of finishing in a top position were dashed. He lies in 55th position overnight but has a chance to make amends for the team tomorrow.

Olympic silver medallist Peder Fredricson delighted the home crowd when stopping the clock in 75.70 to win the opening round, leaving himself in the number one position on zero penalties. Germany’s Marcus Ehning and Pret A Tour finished second in 76.88, just ahead of Portugal’s Luciana Diniz with the wonderful mare Fit For Fun (77.04).

Switzerland and Sweden also have two riders in the top 10. Steve Guerdat placed sixth with Biana (77.37), with his teammate Martin Fuchs in seventh. For Sweden, Douglas Lindelow lies in ninth place.

Reigning European champions The Netherlands didn’t get off to a great start, finishing round one in 12th place, from 17 teams. There was disappointment for Italy when their big hopeful Lorenzo de Luca knocked both parts of the double to slip right down the standings to 43rd.

Britain’s Michael Whitaker withdrew Viking from the competition when the gelding was not feeling himself in the warm up before his round. Di Lampard decided against sending a team to the championships and the only other individual, William Whitaker and Utamaro d’Ecaussines jumped a clear round in a slower time of 85.81 to finish in 39th place.

There was drama during Tuesday’s warm-up when Belgium’s Olivier Philippaerts sustained a shoulder injury resulting from a fall off H&M Legend of Love. Jérôme Guery and Grand Cru van de Rozenberg stood in for the combination.

The first round of the team competition starts tomorrow (Thursday) at 1.30pm GMT, with round two taking place on Friday night. The top 25 will then go through to the individual final on Sunday.

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Team standings