Olympic Weekend Kicks-Off With Jumping In The City Celebration at Shelbourne Park in Dublin

A HUGE weekend for Irish Equestrian sport will kick-off tomorrow night (Friday) in Dublin, as The Underwriting Exchange Limited ‘Jumping In The City’ takes place at Shelbourne Park Greyhound Stadium, just hours before Irish horses and riders begin their Olympic campaign in Rio.

The seven Rio 2016 Irish Equestrian Olympians – Top row (l-r) Helen Kearney (Paralympic Dressage), Greg Broderick (Show Jumping), Judy Reynolds (Dressage). Middle row (l-r) Camilla Spiers, Jonty Evans, Mark Kyle, Bottom row, Clare Abbott and Padraig McCarthy (Eventing)

The opening day of Rio 2016 on Saturday, will see the Irish Eventing team get their competition underway with the first Dressage phase of the ‘Equine Triathlon.’ The Irish team will be confirmed after the first horse inspection at 12.30pm on Saturday. Ireland will be hoping to build on their fifth place finish in Eventing at London 2012. Clare Abbott (Europrince (ISH), Jonty Evans (Cooley Rorke’s Drift (ISH), Mark Kyle (Jemilla) and Padraig McCarthy (Simon Porleo), will form Nick Turners four strong team if all pass inspection, with Camilla Speirs and Portersize Just A Jiff (ISH) on standby in Rio as reserve if required following the first trot-up.

The Irish quartet will face the Olympic Cross Country phase on Monday, before the Eventing team and individual medals are decided following the final Show Jumping competition on Tuesday.

Judy Reynolds will begin the Olympic Dressage competition on Wednesday in Rio with her horse Vancouver K, while Greg Broderick and The Irish Sport Horse, MHS Going Global, begin the Olympic Show Jumping competition on Sunday August 14th. The Paralympic begin in Rio on September 7th, with Ireland represented by Helen Kearney and Rock And Roll 2.

Ireland’s Eventing and Dressage horses have been in Rio now for a number of days with preparations said to be going perfectly. Ireland’s Show Jumping horse, MHS Going Global, left his stable in Thurles, Co Tipperary on Wednesday evening. He will take in two ferry crossings (Dublin to Hollyhead and Dover to Calais) before arriving in Liege, Belgium on Saturday. From here Going Global will board a specially chartered 12 hour flight to Rio, where he will be reunited with his groom Ashleigh Skillen and rider Greg Broderick.

JUMPING IN THE CITY
Many of Ireland’s top Show Jumping stars are set to descend on Dublin tomorrow (Friday) for what promises to be a thrilling night of entertainment at The Underwriting Exchange Limited ‘Jumping In The City’. A Rio-style carnival atmosphere is in store for a final farewell to Show-jumper Greg Broderick, who be there in person at Shelbourne Park before departing for Rio the following day. Spectators will also have a chance to show their support for Irish Eventing and Dressage Olympians, who begin their competitions in Rio over the coming days.

Photo: Dermott Lennon and Loughview Lou-Lou won the 2015 Jumping In The City Underwriting Exchange Limited Grand Prix

Jumping In The City kicks off at 5.30pm with the West Wood/Ifor Williams Amateur Speed class, as riders race around the in-field of Shelboune Park to see who will be crowned champion and drive away with a brand new West Wood/Ifor Williams horse box.

BIG RED WALL
The Underwriting Exchange Limited Grand Prix at 6.45pm will see 16 of Ireland’s top horses and riders battle over two rounds of competition, with Olympic-bound Greg Broderick among the starters in his final competition before he makes his Olympic debut. The thrilling Devenish Puissance will be the final competition of the night, as competitors jump the Big Red Wall – one of the most popular spectacles in Equestrian sport.

Tickets for The Underwriting Jumping In The City are available online from igb.ie, by phoning 1890 269 969 or on the gate at Shelbourne Park on Friday. General Admission €20 (€15 online), Student €10, OAP €10, Children U14 Free