(10 Mar 2010)
IRISH riders will be flying the flag in six different countries this weekend, in jumping, eventing and dressage.
In Wellington, Florida, three members of last week's third-placed irish Nations' Cup team will be joined by Andrew Bourns for the three-star show, where a World Cup Qualifying class takes place on Saturday. US-based Offaly rider Darragh Kenny has already booked his place in the World Cup Final in Geneva in April with a top rank in the American West Coast league, but Kevin Babington and Shane Sweetnam are still chasing points.
At Braunschweig, Tipperary-born Denis Lynch lines out as the sole Irish entrant with a quartet of horses in the German four star show, while Comporta in Portugal and Vejer de la Frontera in Spain see large contingents of Irish riders chasing the elusive sun and seeking prize money. Jessica Kurten, latest winner of the Irish Times/Irish Sports Council Sportswoman of the Month, is one of eleven riders representing Ireland at Comporta, and is joined there by Dermott Lennon and Thomas Ryan, among others.
Villenueve-Loubet in France, which witnessed Alex Duffy's classic Irish Grand Prix victory last Sunday, sees the Mayo man once more bidding for glory, armed with a substantial string of eight horses, and he is joined by seven fellow-countrymen.
At Busto Arsizio in Italy, meanwhile, Declan McEvoy is the only Irish entrant, as is Ann Marie Rawlins in the three-star dressage at Vejer de la Frontera. Six Irish eventers, though, will take part in the one and two-star classes at Barroca d'Alva in Portugal.