THE Irish show jumping team won the thrilling Longines FEI Nations Cup Final for the first time last Sunday evening at the Real de Polo Club in Barcelona, Spain, and in doing so, finally put the ghost of the Olympic past to bed when securing their team place at next year’s Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Rodrigo Pessoa’s squad may have left qualifying to the last minute, but the victory in Barcelona was classy and convincing, as well as history-making. For the first time in history, Ireland will send a full complement of equestrian teams to an Olympic Games, with the eventing and dressage teams already qualified.

For the show jumping team, it marks the end of a 16-year wait to get back to the Olympic Games. Cian O’Connor, on the team in Barcelona, was on the team at the Games in Athens in 2004 alongside Jessica Kurten, Marion Hughes and Kevin Babington.

In Barcelona to watch the action, alongside Sport Ireland chairman Kieran Mulvey, Horse Sport Ireland CEO, Ronan Murphy, said: “Horse Sport Ireland is immensely proud of our High Performance jumping team and their fantastic achievement of securing qualification.

“History has been made this afternoon as for the first time ever Ireland has qualified our three equestrian High Performance teams for the Summer Olympic Games. Huge congratulations to Peter, Paul, Darragh and Cian who kept their nerve under immense pressure and delivered this fantastic result for Ireland.”

Hats off

Rodrigo Pessoa’s team of Peter Moloney, Paul O’Shea, Darragh Kenny and Cian O’Connor went to Barcelona chasing that final ticket. Having got through the first round quite convincingly on Thursday, they delivered above and beyond over Santiago Varela’s difficult track, with clear rounds from O’Shea and O’Connor, plus a single time fault from Darragh Kenny, securing a brilliant victory.

The Olympic ticket was in the bag after the third line riders when the teams’ also chasing qualification – Italy and Colombia – fell behind, but it wasn’t until the very last rider that the overall result was confirmed in dramatic fashion.

Speaking afterwards, Rodrigo Pessoa gave all the credit to his dedicated team members. “We expected a very tough fight from our direct opponents, Italy and Colombia, but as a twist we were also holding strong to the big countries in it like Belgium and others.

“It’s a lot of pressure, people don’t really realise, but it’s a lot of pressure – the weight of the country is on their shoulders. It was a big ask from them today and to so it in style, hats off to them, all five of them, for a job well done.”

The competition

Rookie Peter Moloney once again proved himself to be world class when first to go for the team aboard Team Harmony’s Chianti’s Champion (Champion Du Lys x Cornet Obolensky). The 11-year-old stallion was jumping out of his skin, but a slight mistake at the first part of the triple combination saw them finish with four faults.

“The horse jumped amazing, [we were] just a little bit unfortunate at the combination but as the day went on, I don’t think it was a really bad score, I was pretty happy with it,” Moloney, who is trained by teammate Cian O’Connor, said afterwards.

O’Shea was next with the experienced Skara Glen’s Machu Picchu (Silverstone x Matterhorn). The 12-year-old gelding, who is owned by the Machu Pichhu Partners LLC, produced a world class clear round under immense pressure to keep Ireland in the hunt.

“We were looking for a clear and Machu really responded and gave me 110% everywhere. He has so much heart, so much heart, he is just a pleasure to ride,” commented a delighted O’Shea, who was back on the team after missing out at the European Championships at the end of August.

Crucial qualifying round

Darragh Kenny provided the vital clear round in Thursday’s qualifying round and aimed to do the same with Ann Thompson’s 13-year-old stallion Balou du Reventon (Cornet Obolensky x Continue). The pair were flawless throughout and didn’t touch any fences, but lost out on a share of that €100,000 bonus when picking up a single time fault.

Darragh Kenny and Balou du Reventon at the FEI Nations Cup Final in Barcelona \ Tiffany van Halle

When Colombia’s Nicolas Toro finished with 12 faults after Kenny, and Italy had to count the eight faults from Paolo Paini, Ireland had then secured the Tokyo place before the last line riders, but the competition still lay in the balance.

“I knew going in it was a very very important round for us. I knew there was a big chance of getting the ticket done, so I was a bit nervous going in the ring but I have an incredible horse, he is absolutely amazing. He tried so hard all the time,” Kenny said afterwards.

“My goal was to try jump double clear, to try get Ireland to Tokyo, that was the most important thing and I’m glad I can be part of this great team,” he added, not too worried about missing out on the bonus on this occasion. Only Belgium’s Oliver Philippaerts (H&M Extra) and Germany’s Daniel Deusser (Tobago Z) could manage two clears to share the €100,000.

Thrilling finish

Cian O’Connor took up the role he has become so good at as anchor man with Ronnoco Jump Ltd’s talented nine-year-old PSG Final (Toulan x Cassini). With a point to prove after 12 faults on Thursday, O’Connor was coolness personified as he guided the youngster masterfully around the track to record a fantastic clear round.

That piled the pressure on Belgium’s Gregory Wathelet (MJT Nevados S), who had to jump clear if Belgium, the current European champions, were to win the competition for the second year in-a-row.

They were on their way to the penultimate fence with nothing to add when the 11-year-old stallion unbelievably ran out to one side, handing victory to Pessoa’s squad on one fault.

“I suppose whenever you’re going last, you want to try and always to do your best. Thursday was really important day and I rushed my horse a little and had two down,” O’Connor explained afterwards. “There is an Irish commentator at home who says ‘one day you’re the dog and the next day you’re the lamp post’, I am just happy it was the other way around.”

Belgium were second on a score of four faults, ahead of Sweden on 12. Italy, who will now heartbreakingly miss out on the Tokyo Games finished back in fourth, also on 12 faults.

Final results

1st Ireland 1 fault

2nd Belgium 4 faults

3rd Sweden 12 (219.45)

4th Italy 12 (220.19)

5th France 12 (220.88)

6th Germany 16

Irish Team scores

Peter Moloney/Chianti’s Champion 4

Paul O’Shea/Skara Glen’s Machu Picchu 0

Darragh Kenny/Balou du Reventon 1

Cian O’Connor/PSG Final 0