OLYMPIC fever is well and truly setting in after the Irish show jumping team’s win in Aachen on Thursday night. An interesting statistic that came out of the press conference afterwards, was it is the first time these four riders – Denis Lynch, Bertram Allen, Shane Sweetnam and Cian O’Connor, have been on a team together since they won team gold at the 2017 European Championships.

Michael Blake asked Bertram to show the media what he had in his pocket and, surprisingly, it was a shamrock that Denis gave him at that championship in 2017 for good luck. He said he only discovered it was still in his pocket in Spruce Meadows back in September – where they also won and he was double clear. He better bring that shamrock to Paris!

While the fans might be getting excited about the prospect of a medal in Paris, Michael was quick to bring me back down to earth on Friday morning, saying very clearly he would not be getting complacent and would not be buying into the favourites tag. You can read more about that in the adjoining Aachen story on this page.

I also asked Shane Sweetnam, after his double clear, if he felt the pressure of the nation going into Paris. He told me that he always puts big pressure on himself regardless, and stressed that you really need luck and God on your side at an Olympic Games, especially with the three to a team format.

This week, we kick off our Olympic coverage on page 87 by talking to Bernard Jackman, Horse Sport Ireland’s Acting Head of Sport, who is taking the role of chef de mission for the Games, previously held by the formidable Triona Connors who, I am told, is still very much the glue that holds the logistics team together.

Dublin Horse Show Magazine

Elsewhere, the annual Dublin Horse Show Magazine has gone to print and is available to order online now and will be in shops next week. The seventh edition of this glossy magazine features individuals from all walks of equestrian life, including racehorse trainer and Connemara pony breeder Henrietta Knight, show jumpers Michael Duffy, Cian O’Connor and Daniel Coyle, while Bertram Allen and his partner Emily Turkington give us an insight into their busy lives as international show jumpers and business owners.

We also take a look inside Enda Carroll’s Ashford Farm, hear from pony riders and preview the Irish teams for the Olympic Games. Order at www.theirishfield.ie/store