Ireland Equestrian High Performance Manager Ginny Elliot has confirmed the four combinations that will form the Irish team at the European Eventing Championships in Luhmuhlen, Germany, which begin today (Thursday).
The team will compete in the following order:
Mark Kyle; Coolio
Jayne Doherty; The Only One
Joseph Murphy; Electric Cruise
Sam Watson; Horseware Bushman
The three best finishing scores from amongst these four riders will make up Ireland’s team score.
The other two travelling combinations, Capt Geoff Curran with ‘The Jump Jet’ and Camilla Speirs with ‘Portersize Just a Jiff’, will compete as individuals.
The dressage phase begins on Thursday, continuing into Friday, and the riders will compete in the cross country phase on Saturday, with the show jumping phase on Sunday.
The European Championships are the second last chance for Ireland to qualify for the Olympics Games in 2012. In order to qualify for the games the Irish team must finish in the top two from amongst those European countries who are not already qualified.
Great Britain, Germany and Belgium are the European countries who have already qualified for the 2012 Olympics. Great Britain qualified as hosts while Germany and Belgium qualified at last year’s World Championships in Kentucky.
