Irish senior eventing team named ahead of Millstreet Nations Cup

Ian Cassells and Millridge Atlantis (ISH)

Albert reveals pairings tasked with following up last year’s podium finish

Eventing’s FEI Nations Cup series for 2024 gets under way for Team Ireland on familiar territory with the four-star Millstreet Nations Cup starting tomorrow and concluding on Sunday.

Horse Sport Ireland’s High Performance Director of senior eventing, Dag Albert has named his team for the competition.

Ireland claimed a brilliant podium position at the Green Glens Arena and Drishane Castle last year, finishing third behind winners New Zealand and runners-up Belgium.

A youthful squad packed with potential will attempt to at least replicate that feat on what is the only Irish leg of the FEI Nations Cup of Eventing.

Ian Cassells and Jennifer Kuehnle, who made her senior team debut for Ireland in those memorable circumstances 12 months ago, return to wear the green jacket at the Cork carnival along with Robbie Kearns and Patrick Whelan.

The team for Millstreet is as follows:

• Ian Cassells with Millridge Atlantis (ISH) owned by Gerry & Fiona Leahy
• Robbie Kearns with Ballyvillane OBOS (ISH) owned by Richard Ames
• Jennifer Kuehnle with Polly Blue Eyes owned by Hans Kuehnle & Jennifer Kuehnle
• Patrick Whelan with Altitu (ISH) owned by Seamus Carew

Speaking about the announcement Albert said: “The four riders and their horses have put in solid performances through the season and deserve to be selected. They should be able to pull off something here hopefully.

“All I am asking for is a solid performance and we’ll see how far that takes us. Everyone is in good mood and are just tuning up in the dressage ring today.

“It should be a good week for the riders and horses in terms of building experience. When you are looking at high performance, development is a very important part of that and there are things after Paris too! So we want competition and we want combinations with more experience.

“I try to give people a chance to get them on Nations Cup teams but this is a little more pressure, because it is on home soil. So it counts a fair bit for them. We did well last year so we’ll see how we get on this time around.”

BREEDING

Millridge Atlantis (ISH) – 2014 gelding by Dinan Cascaletto (ISH) out of Kereen Sue (ISH) by Warrenstown You 2 (ISH). Breeder: Sean O’Loughlin, Co Kilkenny. Owner: Fiona Leahy and Gerry Leahy

Ballyvillane OBOS (ISH) – 2013 gelding by OBOS Quality 004 (OLD) out of Gleesons Coolcorran (ISH) by Young Convinced (TB). Breeder: Tim Gleeson Owner: Richard Ames

Altitu (ISH) – 2015 gelding by Orestus VDL (KWPN) out of Happy Choice by Aram (KWPN). Breeder: Seamus Carew. Owner: Seamus Carew.