WITH just 41 days to go until the 2024 Olympic Games kick off in Paris, France, Horse Sport Ireland has now nominated athletes in all disciplines.

Abigail Lyle was named as Ireland’s sole dressage rider last week, while on Monday, June 10th, Michael Blake (jumping) and Dag Albert (eventing) both nominated their squads for Paris, as well as the non-travelling reserves and team alternates.

Favourites

Despite being the first show jumping team announced, the equestrian data company EquiRatings have made an early call that Ireland will enter the Games as favourites for team gold.

Blake selected a hugely experienced squad, with three previous Olympians in Cian O’Connor (Maurice), Shane Sweetnam (James Kann Cruz (ISH)) and Bertram Allen (Pacino Amiro (ISH)), named as the alternative, while Daniel Coyle will make his Olympic debut with the experienced Legacy.

Ireland’s only equestrian Olympic medallist in history, Cian O’Connor has earned his fourth Olympic call-up – 20 years after his first in Athens, which ended in controversy, while Sweetnam and Allen made their first Olympic appearance in Tokyo, alongside O’Connor, three years ago.

Commenting on his decision, Michael Blake said: “It is the greatest honour for an athlete to be chosen to represent their country at an Olympic Games and I’m delighted to have chosen these athletes for consideration for Paris.

“We are enjoying an excellent period of Irish jumping at the moment and it is testament to the riders and all of their teams who look after the horses at home, and when they compete, that they have all reached such a high level. The athletes and horses I have chosen have been performing brilliantly, week-in-week-out, on the international stage and we’ll give it everything we have to achieve what we’re setting out to do.”

Eventing

Meanwhile, on the eventing front, Dag Albert – a two-time Swedish Olympian - who took up the permanent role of High Performance director last December, also named his nominations on Monday.

The most experienced member is three-time Olympian Austin O’Connor, who will look to lead the Irish charge with the Irish-bred Colorado Blue, winner of the Maryland five-star last Autumn. The pair were best of the Irish in Tokyo when finishing 13th.

His Tokyo teammate Sarah Ennis (Action Lady M (ISH)) is nominated her second Olympic Games, as is Aoife Clark (Sportsfield Freelance) who, named as the alternate, finished seventh at her first Olympic Games in London 12 years ago. Susie Berry is the rookie of the team, selected with Wellfields Lincoln.

Dag Albert said: “It is an honour and privilege to be leading the Irish team into the Paris Olympic Games and I’m absolutely delighted with the athletes and their horses, who have been raising their performances week-on-week as we have gotten to this point in the selection process.

“The strength and depth we have in Irish eventing currently is probably at its highest ever and it made the decision difficult, as the athletes and their horses really pushed each other to make it to Paris.

“It is a huge undertaking for themselves to reach this level and also their teams at home to have the horses performing at the levels required to reach an Olympic Games – I’m extremely proud of them all.”

The full list of alternates and reserves can be found on the HSI website.