Ireland’s Pony Dressage team in European action this week

The GAIN Irish U16 (Pony) Dressage Team will compete today against 10 other teams at the European Pony Dressage Championships taking place at Budapest Region – Pilisjászfalu in Hungary from today until Sunday 30^th August. Team Ireland’s ponies have passed the first Horse Inspection and are drawn 10^th to go out of 11 teams. The combinations are as following:

Ms Rachel Carr – 15 years old & Calelvador May Blossom – 15/04/2006 – Mare – Palomino

Mr Cillian Curran – 15 years old & Blokland’s Hoeve’s Amor – 15/06/2005 – Male – Chestnut

Ms Martha Jobling-Purser – 16 years old & Valido’s Starlight – 10/06/2004 – Gelding – Bay

Mr Oscar O’Connor – 12 years old & Top Hero 2 – 10/05/2010 – Gelding – Bay

Rachel Carr (Photo by Matt Browne/Sportsfile)

Cillian Curran (Photo by Matt Browne/Sportsfile)

Martha Jobling-Purser

Oscar O’Connor (Photo by Matt Browne/Sportsfile)

The team competition starts at 14:00 today and will resume tomorrow morning at 9:00. Times for Ireland’s riders are as follows (please note these are local times, 1 hour ahead of Ireland):

Mr Cillian Curran: 15.51 day 1.

Ms Rachel Carr: 17.42 day 1.

Mr Oscar O’Connor: 10.43 day 2.

Ms Martha Jobling-Purser: 12.26 day 2.

Speaking about the upcoming competition, Horse Sport Ireland Youth Dressage Team Manager Anne Marie commented:

“Our ponies have arrived in Hungary in really good shape and conditions at the venue are super. This years team consists of a mix of experience and up and coming talent all are looking forward getting down the centre line. In a year of huge uncertainty it is great to be able to participate at a European Championships – the biggest and most important competition for our youth athletes and full credit must go to the organizing committee at Unikornis Lovarda, the FEI and Horse Sport Ireland for providing us with the structures and support to compete safely in these times”.

Follow Horse Sport Ireland on Social Media (@HorseSportIreland) to keep up to date with the results. The competition will also be livestreamed by the FEI to YouTube, you can watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKG_rinepJE.