Horse Sport Ireland: Ireland move up to fourth place during day two of Eventing Dressage

Source: News Release

Ireland move up to fourth place during day two of Eventing Dressage

THE Irish Eventing team are now in fourth position after three riders from each team have competed their Dressage tests, in the Olympic Eventing competition in Rio de Janeiro.

A superb score of 41.80 penalties today from Ireland's Jonty Evans and The Irish Sport Horse Cooley Rorkes Drift, means he holds provisional sixth place on the individual standings and he has also improved Ireland's team position.

Horse Sport Ireland Eventing Team Manager Nick Turner, flanked by Dressage coach Ian Woodhead, saw their side make a very competitive start on Saturday, after both Tipperary's Padraig McCarthy riding Simon Porloe and Clare Abbott riding The Irish Sport Horse Europrince, produced personal best scores to leave Ireland in overnight sixth place.

The team standings will change further before the end of today's Dressage phase as each team has one more rider to go. Mark Kyle will be the fourth and final Irish rider to compete and he is due in the ring just after 6pm riding Jemilla.

However, with the three best scores out of the four riders counting for each country, and with three string scores already on the board, Ireland look like they will be well in touch with the leading teams ahead of tomorrow's crucial Cross Country phase.

The top eight nations on the team standings are only separated by a small margin, ahead of the hugely influential Cross Country phase on Monday, which is traditionally one of Ireland's strongest phases of the Eventing competition

The individual and team Eventing medals will be decided following the final Show Jumping phase on Tuesday.

**NOTE - Breeding an owners details of all four Irish Olympic Eventing horses available below.

Padraig McCarthy with Simon Porloe (PZHK) 2000 bay gelding by Sofix out of Babilonia by Czubaryk. Owner: Christopher & Sarita Perkins

Clare Abbott with Europrince (ISH), 2003 chestnut gelding by Lougheries Quiet Man (UNK) out of Miss Tullydraw. (UNK). Breeder & Owner: Dr Cormac McKay.

Jonty Evans with Cooley Rorke's Drift (ISH), 2006 gelding by Courage II out of Doon-A-Ree-Lass, by Rachelle Comet. Breeder: William McCarrison Owner: Fiona Elliot & Jonty Evans.

Mark Kyle with Jemilla, (SHBGB). 2006 bay mare by Mill Law out of Jessica XIX by Louella Moschallah. Owner: Shelagh & Richard Morley.

Ireland's Jonty Evans and Mark Kyle set for second day of Rio Eventing competition

Day two of the Olympic Games in Rio will see the remainder of Ireland's Eventing riders take to the arena, hoping to build on an excellent start by Nick Turner's team on the opening day in Brazil.

Jonty Evans riding The Irish Sport Horse Cooley’s Rorkes Drift, will perform their Dressage test at 2.32pm Irish time, while Mark Kyle and Jemilla will compete at 6.10pm.

Ireland made a very competitive start to the Olympic Eventing competition on Saturday with the team lying in provisional sixth place midway through the Dressage phase and with only a handful of points separating the top eight teams.

Tipperary's Padraig McCarthy produced a personal best score of 46.80 penalties with the 16-year-old gelding Simon Porloe to finish the day in 12th place overall. Clare Abbott from Co Down and The Irish Sport Horse Europrince, also finished with a personal best Dressage score of 47.00, and is just one place behind her teammate in 13th spot.

The Cross Country phase of the Eventing competition takes place on Monday, while the individual and team Eventing medals will be decided following the final Show Jumping phase on Tuesday.

Judy Reynolds will begin the Olympic Dressage competition on Wednesday in Rio with her horse Vancouver K, while Greg Broderick and The Irish Sport Horse, MHS Going Global, start the Olympic Show Jumping competition on Sunday August 14th.

**NOTE - Breeding an owners details of all four Irish Olympic Eventing horses available below.

Padraig McCarthy with Simon Porloe (PZHK) 2000 bay gelding by Sofix out of Babilonia by Czubaryk. Owner: Christopher & Sarita Perkins

Clare Abbott with Europrince (ISH), 2003 chestnut gelding by Lougheries Quiet Man (UNK) out of Miss Tullydraw. (UNK). Breeder & Owner: Dr Cormac McKay.

Jonty Evans with Cooley Rorke's Drift (ISH), 2006 gelding by Courage II out of Doon-A-Ree-Lass, by Rachelle Comet. Breeder: William McCarrison Owner: Fiona Elliot & Jonty Evans.

Mark Kyle with Jemilla, (SHBGB). 2006 bay mare by Mill Law out of Jessica XIX by Louella Moschallah. Owner: Shelagh & Richard Morley.