THE Irish eventing team have won a silver medal at the FEI World Equestrian Games in Tryon, with Padraig McCarthy also taking an individual silver medal.

The last Irish eventing medal won at a World Championship was in 1978 when John Watson, father of today’s team member Sam, won an individual silver.

In what was an unbelievably tense final day at the Tryon International Equestrian Centre in North Carolina, Ireland had secured a medal before the last rider, Sarah Ennis, entered the ring. However, bidding for individual glory, Sarah needed to jump a clear to stay on the podium.

Cathal Daniels got the team underway when first to go with Margaret Kinsella’s Rioghan Rua and they finished on four faults (41.6), before Sam Watson delivered an incredible clear round with his own and Belinda Keir’s Horseware Ardagh Highlight to keep Ireland’s hopes of a medal firmly alive and finish on their dressage score (35.5).

Padraig McCarthy was next to go for Ireland with Mr Chunky and the former show jumper looked like he was still in his own discipline when posting a foot perfect round to finish also finish on his dressage score of 27.2 seconds and jump to the top of the leaderboard with six left to go.

Show jumping faults from the French riders, who finished with the bronze, meant Ireland couldn’t be caught for the silver medal, but as Sarah Ennis entered the ring with Horseware Stellor Rebound, she knew a clear round was necessary to earn an individual medal. Sadly, they hit the middle part of the big combination and their score of 30.3 pushed them down to fifth place overall.

McCarthy was then guaranteed a bronze medal with just Britain’s Rosalind Canter and Germany’s Ingrid Kilmke left to go. Canter duly delivered on the brilliant Allstar B to make sure Britain’s gold medal was safe and put herself in the gold medal position individually on a score of 24.6.

Klimke had no breathing space as she entered the ring and looked like she was going to take the gold until hitting the final fence with SAP Hale Bob OLD, dropping her to bronze (27.3).

The dominant British team of Canter, Piggy French (Quarrycrest Echo), Tom McEwen (Toledo de Kerser) and Gemma Tattersall (Arctic Soul) held on to win the team gold after two consistent days of competition. France won the bronze medal.

Ireland's individual rider Patricia Ryan also jumped a fantastic clear round at the beginning of the competition with Dunrath Eclipse to round off a succesful championships.

Ireland have now secured their team qualification for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

Eventing high performance manager Sally Corscadden, who was wearing her lucky ‘medal-winning’ skirt, said afterwards: “It’s huge, we are making history today. To be here today is just absolutely fantastic. I had belief in these guys that we could be competitive and we stuck to that goal and here we are.”

After winning two silver medals, Padraig McCarthy said: “I’ve dreamt amount nothing else for the last six months! With a horse like this, you have to dream big. It’s been in my mind since the beginning with him.”

McCarthy (41), who is based in the UK, has a long background in the equestrianism, but the majority of it was spent in show jumping circles. He left Ireland for Sweden at the age of 18 to work for Rolf-Göran Bengtsson and has spent time with show jumping legends including the late Max Hauri and Eddie Macken.

He met his wife, British event rider Lucy Wiegersma, through selling horses and made the move to eventing.

Talking about the pressure of jumping for an individual medal, McCarthy said: “It wasn’t really hard. In a previous life I used to be show jumper, so that gave me confidence. I didn’t go in with any pressure.”

Asked if its better being an eventer, he replied: “Absolutely!”

Although losing a place on the individual podium, Sarah Ennis was gracious as ever, saying: “I am delighted, he (Horseware Stellor Rebound) gave it his all. I knew I had to jump clear to get an individual but couldn’t have wished it for a nicer person, at least it’s coming home to Ireland with Padraig.”

MORE TO FOLLOW ON THIS RESULT IN THIS WEEKEND’S THE IRISH FIELD