Cian O’Connor and Good Luck finish 13th as Germany’s Simone Blum is crowned new Show Jumping World Champion

Ireland’s Cian O’Connor and the 12-year-old stallion Good Luck have finished 13th in the individual Show Jumping final, as the 2018 World Equestrian Games have come to a close at North Carolina in the USA.

Cian O’Connor and Good Luck (Photo: Erin Gilmore)

The pair were in sixth place heading into the final two rounds of jumping, where two fences down in the first round saw them miss out on a place in the final round by just one place.

Speaking afterwards. O’Connor was already looking ahead to his next challenge,
“I love the challenges and demands of these major championships. I particularly enjoy the planning and strategy it takes to build a horse to peak at these events. Good Luck is an outstanding athlete and finishing 13th at these World Games was no mean feat. Upwards and onwards to the next challenge and my quest for more championship medals continues.”

O’Connor had played a key role along with Shane Sweetnam, Paul O’Shea and Shane Breen on the Devenish & Underwriting Exchange Irish team which missed out gaining Olympic qualification by just one place in Friday’s team final at the Games.

Ireland will have two more chances next year, at the European Championships and Nations Cup final, to qualify a Show Jumping team for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Germany’s Simone Blum with the 11-year-old mare DSP Alice are the new Show Jumping World Champions – taking the Gold medal as the only combination to jump clear in all five competitions this week at The World Equestrian Games. Switzerland’s Martin Fuchs takes the silver with Clooney, while another Swiss rider Steve Guerdat takes bronze with Bianca.

Meanwhile back in Europe, Waterford’s Peter Moloney led an Irish 1-2 in today’s Jack Dodd memorial 1m50 Grand Prix at Bonheiden in Belgium. Moloney partnered d’Atlantique Royale to victory just ahead of Offaly’s Darragh Kenny who finished second with Balou du Reventon.