Galway’s Cathal Daniels in contention for individual medal at European Eventing Championships as Ireland lie in sixth
Sally Corscadden’s Irish Eventing team of Cathal Daniels, Sam Watson, Ciaran Glynn and Sarah Ennis, are in sixth place overall of 12 teams on a score of 103.3 following today’s (Saturday) Cross Country phase at the FEI Eventing European Championships in Luhmühlen.
The home team from Germany lead on 80.50 with Britain second on 92.80 while France are in third on 93.60. Italy are in fourth on 99.2 with Sweden in fifth on 101.1 just ahead of Ireland.
Photo:Adrian Fohl
Today’s leader Michael Jung and Fischer Chipmunk FRH couldn’t have wished for a better cross-country day, finishing clear and inside the time. “Chipmunk is such a fantastic horse. It felt so good to ride him round the course. I was able to go for all the direct routes, whilst he galloped fresh around the track, leaving us up on the clock all the way. Ingrid Klimke (GER) and SAP Hale Bob OLD also went clear within the time keeping them in second place after today’s cross-country:
Members of the Iris Eventing squad for the 2019 FEI European Championships (l-r) Ciaran Glynn, Sam Watson, Sarah Ennis, Sally Corscadden, Cathal Daniels, and Tony Kennedy (Photo: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile)
Galway’s Cathal Daniels is in contention for an individual medal after an impressive clear round inside the time with The Irish Sport Horse Rioghan Rua. Twenty-two year-old Daniels is less than a fence off the medal places on his Dressage score of 29.0.
Ciaran Glynn also went clear within the time with November Night (ISH) (TIH) and is in 23rd place on 35.5. Sarah Ennis and Horseware Woodcourt Garrison (ISH) are in 30th on 38.8, Sam Watson is 43rd with Tullabeg Flamenco (ISH) and Tony Kennedy is 46th with Westeria Lane (ISH). Germany’s Michael Jung leads on a score of 20.90.
Irish team manager Sally Corscadden said:
“Great performances today from the team. An unfortunate wrong line for Sam was expensive for us but we’re very proud of the way our riders tackled the Cross Country and it has been a valuable learning experience for Tokyo – competing in high temperatures in the afternoon. A brilliant Cross Country round from Cathal [Daniels] sees him in contention for an individual medal and it’s still close going into the jumping tomorrow so we’ll hope to keep the pressure on the teams ahead of us. This has also been a great experience for our individual rider Tony Kennedy with Wisteria Lane.”
The European Eventing Championships are also an Olympic qualifier however the Irish team have already qualified for Tokyo following their silver medal win at last years World Championships.
The 2019 team and individual medals at the 2019 FEI Eventing European Championships in Luhmühlen will be decided following Sunday’s Show Jumping phase.
