Irish eventing team keen to improve on last year’s Nations’ Cup at Aachen

Irish riders are competing in three disciplines at Aachen this week with the eventing team keen to improve on their fourth place finish in last year’s Nations’ Cup.

On Thursday, Horse Sport Ireland's senior eventing team manager Nick Turner announced the team as Aoife Clark (Wasting Light), Sarah Ennis (BLM Diamond Delux), Joseph Murphy (Westwinds Hercules) and Elizabeth Power (Soladoun). The dressage phase commences early on Friday morning with show jumping in the afternoon and cross-country on Saturday.

The highlight of the five-star pure show jumping action is Sunday's Rolex Grand Prix but already five classes have been staged at the show with Meath's Cian O'Connor winning Wednesday's 1.45m speed class on Chansonette Farm's 10-year-old mare Be Gentle. Jonathan Gordon placed fourth with PSG Junior and the Co Mayo native was second in the later 1.50m two-phase competition with Fellini 131.

Kildare's Judy Reynolds continues her preparations for the Olympics at Aachen where she competes with her Rio mount, Vancouver K, and the stallion Zigal.

At home, racehorse trainer Jim Bolger sponsors Thursday's round of the Horseware/TRM national Grand Prix league at the Bannow & Rathangan show near Duncormick in Co Wexford.