LAST Sunday, Cathal Daniels joined a select group of four Irish riders when winning individual bronze at the European eventing championships at Luhmühlen, Germany on Mags and Frank Kinsella’s Rioghan Rua.

The three competitors who previously medalled for this country at European level were Major Eddie Boylan who won gold with Durlas Eile at Punchestown in 1967, Captain (now Lt Col) Brian MacSweeney who claimed bronze at Horsens, Denmark in 1981 with Inis Meain, and Lucy Thompson who partnered Welton Romance to win gold at Pratoni, Italy in 1995.

At 22 years of age, Galway native Daniels was a lot younger than the other trio when being presented with their medals, while the 15.2hh chesnut Rioghan Rua has little in common with the other three horses apart from Welton Romance who, too, was a mare. The pair were on the Irish silver medal-winning team at the World Equestrian Games in Tryon last year.

With the Irish eventing team manager, Sally Corscadden, keen to give the combination the best chance in the dressage arena, the draw for teams last week was vital. “I didn’t want any of our riders going in after the Germans when the crowd in the stands would still buzzing and all but one (first to compete, Ciaran Glynn with November Night), followed Austrian riders which suited us really well.

“When Cathal got that good score on Friday (29 penalties which left them in 13th place), he knew anything was possible.”

There was some discrepancy between the ground jury with the president at C, Germany’s Martin Plewa having the pair 13th, Denmark’s Anne-Mette Binder (M) rating them fifth while Peter Shaw of Australia (E) had them lying 22nd.

As when winning the CCIU254*-L at Bramham, England, earlier in the year, Daniels and Rioghan Rua, who is by the Swedish Warmblood Jack Of Diamonds, completed on their flat work mark following two brilliant rounds of jumping which were much appreciated by the crowd.

The pair moved up to sixth after cross-country and, on Sunday, climbed three places as first Britain’s Oliver Townend took out the planks at eight on Cooley Master Class to drop to ninth (31.60), The Netherlands’ Tim Lips had the first element of the third and final double at 10 down with Bayro to slip to sixth (30) and Lt Col Thibaut Vallette, who had been lying third, dropped two places (29.80) when Qing du Briot lowered the fifth fence, an error which also denied France team bronze.

There were no such problems for the defending champion, Germany’s Ingrid Klimke and her Strzegom partner SAP Hale Bob who, in second after dressage (22.20), completed on that score. She moved up to claim the gold medal when the three-time European champion, her compatriot Michael Jung, picked up four faults at 10b on fischerChipmunk FST and had to settle for silver on 24.90.

(L-R) Michael Jung, Ingrid Klimke and Cathal Daniels on the podium at the Longines FEI Eventing European Championships in Luhmuhlen, Germany \ Oliver Hardt Getty Images for FEI

Klimke brilliance

Klimke is the fifth rider in the 66-year history of the Europeans to win back-to-back titles and just the second to do so on the same horse following Pippa Funnell’s victories on the Irish Sport Horse gelding Supreme Rock (1999 and 2001).

SAP Hale Bob is a 15-year-old Oldenburg gelding by the German thoroughbred Helikon, a son of the great Konigsstuhl and sire also of Seacookie TSF (CCI4*).

Klimke (51) is extremely popular with the German crowd and was enthusiastically cheered onto the podium as was Jung. So too was Daniels who put his popularity down to Rioghan Rua.

“The mare has developed a great profile. She’s a small chesnut mare who is very sharp, especially at the trot-ups, and so does stand out,” he told The Irish Field.

“It’s was an amazing feeling to be on the podium with two greats in our sport,” continued Daniels who has climbed 18 places up to 12th in the FEI world eventing rankings. “I’ve gone through Juniors (two team golds and an individual silver), Young Riders (team bronze) and now seniors with this mare. Over the past couple of seasons, we Irish have shown we can compete with the best and hopefully more Irish riders will medal at championships in the future.”

Cathal Daniels and Rioghan Rua on their way to an individual bronze medal at the FEI European Eventing Championshipsl \ Thomas Ix

Daniels, who was disappointed that girlfriend Shannon Nelson couldn’t travel to Luhmühlen as she had just started a new job, didn’t have much time to celebrate his victory.

Still in his jacket and breeches, and also wearing his sash and medal, he was quickly on a plane back to Ireland and, early on Tuesday morning headed to The Netherlands to look at horses, arriving home on Wednesday night.

Daniels is riding four horses at Lisgarvan House tomorrow and has five entered for Eventing Ireland’s national championships at Kilguilkey House next weekend. He is also aiming some of his string at Blenheim, Boekelo and Le Lion d’Angers before the start of the indoor show jumping season.

Medals won by Cathal Daniels and Rioghan Rua

2013 Junior team gold

2014 Junior team gold

2014 Individual silver

2015 Young Rider team bronze

2018 Senior team silver (World Equestrian Games)

2019 Senior individual bronze (European Championships)