Sasha Harrison, making her senior championship debut, moved into 12th place after the first day of dressage at the European three-day event championships in Luhmuhlen yesterday with a supremely confident test on the French-bred All Love du Fenaud. A mark of 96 penalties leaves the Co Armagh beautician 24 points off the lead, which is held by Harrison's trainer, Rodney Powell.
Harrison, a member of Ireland's gold medal-winning team at the 1995 European young rider championships in Achselschwang, has been training with Powell at his yard outside Lambourn for the past four years. Having finished fifth and best of the Irish at Punchestown last year, she missed out on selection for the World Equestrian Games and re-routed to the Dutch three-star at Boekelo. All Love du Fenaud, which the Harrisons bought from former British Olympic rider Richard Walker, was again on song at Punchestown in mid-May this year, finishing ninth and virtually guaranteeing a slot on the senior European squad, barring mishaps.
A fall at the final trial in Scarva last month seemed to have wiped out all chances of a trip to Germany. But the selectors, comfortable in the knowledge that Ireland had already qualified for next year's Olympics, were keen to try out some of the younger riders and 23-year-old Harrison duly got the call-up.
Yesterday's performance thrilled the Irish supporters, but it also delighted trainer Powell, who leapt off his horse after the winning test and rushed off to help his pupil, who was due into the arena 20 minutes later. "I always tell Sasha to do what I say," 36-year-old Powell said after his test. "This time I told her to do what I did! And I spent last night relaxing by playing ping pong with the Irish."
Powell, a member of Britain's gold medal team at the 1989 European championships and team silver medallist at the following year's World Equestrian Games, has not worn the union flag on his saddlecloth since the outing to Stockholm in 1990, but climbed back into contention for a place on the British squad when finishing 13th at Badminton with Flintstone.
Powell had won Badminton in 1991 with The Irishman, which he subsequently sold to American rider Bruce Davidson. He returned to his winning ways at the British final trial in Henbury Hall last month, when he scored with Flintstone to earn his place on the squad.
His mark of 72 from yesterday's footperfect test leaves Powell with a 10-point advantage over Belgium's Constantin van Rijckevorsel, who had held the lead for most of the day before being demoted by Powell five from the end. The Belgians are bidding for an Olympic slot and 23-year-old van Rijckevorsel believes that the team is the strongest Belgium has ever fielded for a championship event.
Sweden's Paula Tornqvist, individual bronze medallist at the World Equestrian Games in Rome last year, is lying third with the Irish-bred Monaghan. But the SAS airline pilot has not had the best build-up to the championships and nearly had to withdraw her horse last week when it developed an allergic reaction to treatment for a leg injury. The horse missed a week's work before recovering just in time, but Tornqvist's father suffered a severe stroke last week and is now being treated in hospital at home in Gothenburg.
Irish team members Virginia McGrath and Joanne Jarden were also in action yesterday, with McGrath drawn first to go. A tense test from The Yellow Earl resulted in a mark of 106 penalties for overnight 22nd place, while Joanne Jarden's score of 103 with Bellecanna leaves her in equal 20th. With the rest of the field due to appear in the arena today, the Irish team is currently eighth of the 14 nations in contention, with the rankings headed by the British, who are still seeking a place on the Olympic startlist for next year.
