Sasha Harrison kick-started the Irish challenge at the Fáilte Ireland IFG European Championships when steering All Love du Fenaud into second place, two ahead of another from the home side, Jonty Evans, after the first day of dressage at Punchestown yesterday.
The Richhill, Co Armagh, rider was a member of the Irish team at the World Equestrian Games in Jerez last year and was lying 10th after the dressage only to have a fall early on the cross-country, but the 28-year-old is determined to nail a better result on home ground this weekend.
"It's probably my last three-day event with him," she said yesterday after a mark of 39.8 penalties put her into second behind Italy's Susanna Bordone with Ava. "He's had niggling problems all spring and the selectors said they wouldn't consider him, but he's had a really good autumn and he's fine now."
Harrison had been hoping for a place on the Irish team which will be aiming for Olympic qualification this week, but her horse pulled a muscle in his hindquarters in January and then aggravated the injury to miss the whole spring season.
The pair have returned in style this autumn, however, finishing third at Lulworth and second in Highclere to secure an individual slot at Punchestown, and Harrison believes the 15-year-old is tuned and ready to take on tomorrow's big cross-country.
"Dressage is one of his strongest phases and I had quite high expectations of him, but he lived up to it and now I'm really looking forward to getting out on the cross-country and going for it. It's definitely one of the highlights of my career to ride in front of the home crowd."
Harrison, team gold medallist at the young rider Europeans in 1995, is well used to pressure with the world games and two senior European team outings on her CV, but Jonty Evans is riding at his first championships and was totally overcome when he took the early lead yesterday morning after a classy test from the 10-year-old Cregwarrior.
Evans, who is based in Gloucestershire but claims his place on the Irish squad through his paternal grandfather, scored a personal best 41.6 and was unashamedly emotional when the commentator announced him in first place.
He was demoted to second just before the lunch-break when Bordone and Ava shot into the lead on 33.8, and eventually finished the day in fourth after Harrison and Britain's Mary King squeezed ahead.
The first two Irish team riders, Austin O'Connor and Susan Shortt, weren't quite so high up the rankings, but 16th and 23rd leave them well in contention. The home team is currently in sixth, but will be hoping to improve on that slot when Sherelle Duke and Trish Donegan perform today.
The Italians, bronze medallists at the last European championships, head the teams, an 8.8 penalty margin clear of Britain, with the French a further 3.2 in arrears. The Irish are 22.8 off the pace at this early stage and need to move up at least one slot if the dream of Olympic qualification is to be realised.
EUROPEAN THREE-DAY EVENT CHAMPIONSHIPS: 1, Italy's Ava (Susanna Bordone), 33.8 penalties; 2, Ireland's All Love du Fenaud (Sasha Harrison), 39.8; 3, Britain's King Solomon III (Mary King), 40.6; 4, Ireland's Cregwarrior (Jonty Evans), 41.6; 5, Britain's Shear l'Eau (Leslie Law), 43.2; 6, Germany's Marius (Hinrich Romeike), 44.4; Other Irish placings: 16, Horseware Fabio (Austin O'Connor), 53.6; 20, Drunken Disorderly (Mark Kyle), 55.4; 23, Just Beauty Queen (Susan Shortt), 55.8; 24, Allora Coin (Frances Younghusband), 58.2; 27, Wee Hot Toddy (Becky George), 63.8.
Teams (after first two riders): 1, Italy, 86.6 penalties; 2, Britain, 95.4; 3, France, 99.6; 4, Sweden, 103.8; 5, Germany, 105.4; 6, Ireland, 109.4.
