Ireland looks assured of Olympic Dressage place

  • 10 June 2012, 10:24

IT NOW appears certain that Ireland will have a dressage rider at the Olympic Games in London.

Originally Ireland had secured the second place on the reserve list through the performances of Anna Merveldt and Coryalano during the qualification period.

However, each country who secured Olympic places must have eligible combinations in order to take up the places. With less than ten days to go to the deadline to achieve the minimum eligibility requirement it would appear that Colombia will only be able to take up, at most, one of their three slots. This will open up at least two slots for reserves, which will give Ireland a place in dressage at the games.

Ireland has already qualified an eventing team of at least three riders and two individual show jumping riders as well as a team of four riders for the Paralympics. However, Ireland holds first and third places on the reserve list in eventing and may yet gain more places.

It is also anticipated that the modern pentathlon performances of Meath’s Natalya Coyle will secure another Olympic place for the country when these are announced on June 16th. Pentathlon Ireland is affiliated to Horse Sport Ireland and Natalya Coyle became involved in modern pentathlon through the Irish Pony Club Tetrathlon competition.

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