Irish quest for glory begins as 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games get underway at Tryon, North Carolina, USA

  • 12 September 2018, 01:00

One of the largest sporting events in the world this year, the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games begin today (Wednesday) at Tryon in North Carolina, USA.

The FEI World Equestrian Games are held every four years in the middle of the Olympic cycle and are expected to attract half a million spectators over two weeks of competition, with 1,000 athletes and 1,500 horses competing from over 70 countries.

Horse Sport Ireland have sent a total of 16 Irish athletes to the Games, including full teams in Show Jumping, Eventing and Endurance, along with individual athletes in Dressage and Reining.

First up today will be the Endurance competition, with Avril Bray, Hilda Donahue, Tom MacGuinness and Jane Moss flying the flag for Ireland, while Kildare’s Judy Reynolds also competes in the first round of the Dressage competition.

Later this evening Wicklow-born Bernard O’Sullivan will be in action in opening Reining qualifier.

The Irish Eventing team will face the first of four days of competition tomorrow Thursday, while the Irish Show Jumping team must wait until next Wednesday for their first taste of action.

The World Equestrian Games will see new team and individual World Champions crowned, four years after the 2014 Games were held in Normandy, France.

Speaking ahead of the Games, Horse Sport Ireland CEO Ronan Murphy said:

“I wish all our 16 athletes competing at the FEI World Equestrian Games over the next 12 days the very best of luck. I have no doubt they will do our country proud. As the Games begin, I want to give a special word of thanks to our Show Jumping team official sponsors, Devenish and The Underwriting Exchange, along with all our Team Ireland Equestrian sponsors: GAIN, Berney Bros, Charles Owen, Darragh Equestrian, Dubarry, Horseware and TRM. Sending such a large team of athletes and their horses to a World Equestrian Games on another continent is a mammoth task and we could not do this without their incredible support and of course the support given to us by Sport Ireland.”

Newly-appointed Chairman of Horse Sport Ireland Joe Reynolds added:
“I want to thank all those involved in making sure we have had the best possible preparation for these Games – our high performance committees, team managers, grooms, the athletes own support staff and families, along with all the staff at Horse Sport Ireland and of course Sport Ireland. I am sure we are set for incredibly exciting competition over the coming two weeks and I wish the very best of luck to all our Irish athletes.”

About the FEI World Equestrian Games
The FEI World Equestrian Games™, held every four years in the middle of the Olympic cycle, is one of the biggest events on the global sporting calendar, combining eight equestrian World Championship caliber events in a pre-determined location. The FEI disciplines – Jumping, Dressage and Para-Equestrian Dressage, Eventing, Driving, Endurance, Vaulting and Reining – are all included on the competition schedule, while equestrian-focused demonstrations and exhibitions will also be hosted throughout the duration of the event. The 2018 edition of the FEI World Equestrian Games™ will be held in Mill Spring, NC, over thirteen days from September 11-23rd, 2018 at Tryon International Equestrian Center.

More details – Media contact Brian Hennessy 087 6120717 Email:pr@horsesportireland.ie

Latest scores of all Irish athletes on Team Ireland Equestrian Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

The official website for the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games is www.tryon2018.com
#Tryon2018
#BeOne

The Irish Show Jumping team is sponsored by Devenish & The Underwriting Exchange
Equiline – Official athlete clothing supplier of Team Ireland Equestrian

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