Seventh place finish for Meath’s Sarah Ennis at Eventing European Championships as Ireland take fifth in team final

Ireland’s Sarah Ennis and The Irish Sport Horse Horseware Stellor Rebound, scored a hugely impressive seventh place finish at the 2017 European Eventing Championships at Strzegom in Poland, which drew to a close today (Sunday).

The Irish Eventing team finished fifth with Sarah Ennis seventh individually at the 2017 European Eventing Championships at Strzegom in Poland (l-r)  Sarah Ennis, Joseph Murphy, Sally Corscadden, team manager, Trish Ryan and Michael Ryan (Photo: David Maher/Sportsfile)

Ennis had climbed into the top 10 after a superb clear round in Saturday’s Cross Country and they lowered just a single rail in today’s final Show Jumping phase to leave them on a score of 43.40 in seventh place. The result means Irish Eventing riders have now recorded top 10 finishes individually in the last two major championships, with Ennis’s European placing coming on the back of a ninth place finish for Jonty Evans at the Olympic Games in Rio.

Patricia Ryan was next best of the Irish individually, finishing in 22nd place with Dunrath Eclipse (ISH). Germany’s Ingrid Klimke is the new European individual champion, taking the gold medal with Horseware Hale Bob on a score of 30.30. Fellow German Michael Jung took silver with Fischer Rocana, while Britain’s Nicola Wilson grabbed the bronze with Bulana.

In the team competition, Ireland climbed from seventh overnight to take fifth place of 13 teams on a score of 269.20. Irish pathfinder Michael Ryan with Dunlough Striker (ISH) lowered just one pole in the final phase to finish 33rd. Joseph Murphy with Sportsfield Othello (ISH) finished in 48th place. Britain are the new European Eventing team gold medallists, finishing on a score of 113.90. Germany took the silver (123.0), Sweden collected the bronze (148.40), while Italy finished fourth ahead of Ireland.

Irish team manager Sally Corscadden said:

“We are all delighted for Sarah Ennis. She rode a great round today to hold onto seventh place. Her horse was still full of running today, he was feisty and didn’t make her job easy but Sarah is a true professional. The whole team pulled together today and we were all rooting for her. Trish Ryan also had a great result to finish 22nd individually quite a while since her last championships.

“We don’t have a lot of strength in depth and a fifth place finish overall for the team is good and gives us something to build on. I want to thank all our horses owners without whom we wouldn’t be here and to all our management team and to the grooms. A special mention also to all our sponsors, Equiline, TRM, Charles Owen, Berney Bros, Horseware and to Dubarry who made us all look very smart for the trot-up. We have learned a lot from these championships and we have already started to look ahead to next year.”