Ireland poised for big weekend at FEI Eventing Nations Cup Final

Dag Albert’s Irish Eventing team are in a promising position at the FEI Eventing Nations Cup Final in Boekolo.

The team of Claire Abbott with Jewelant (ISH), Ian Cassels with Shanbo Super Flex (ISH), Robbie Kearns with Ballyvillane OBOS (ISH) and Sam Watson with Ballyneety Rocketman (ISH) finished the dressage phase in The Netherlands this afternoon on a team score of 102.1.

With only ten points separating the Irish and fifth-placed New Zealand, there is plenty to play for over the coming days, with the cross country phase taking place on Saturday and show jumping on Sunday.

Germany are cutting out the pace after the opening day, totaling 82.3, with Great Britain and France hot on their heels ahead of Australia and New Zealand. Ireland lie in ninth place in the standings.

Watson was first into the arena for Ireland with Ballyneety Rocketman (ISH) and his result of 41.0 would prove to be Ireland’s discard score.

He was followed by senior Nations Cup debutant Kearns and Ballyvillane OBOS (ISH), who put in an excellent performance to score 33.5 to lie in 29th place individually after the first day of dressage, before Cassels and Shanbo Super Flex (ISH) scored 37.0.

Abbott was last of the Irish team riders to go, with a super test leaving them inside the top 20 individually, lying in 19th place overall on Thursday evening after posting a score of 31.6.