DARRAGH Kenny is “very excited” to be called up for his second Olympic Games in Paris next week with Cartello, but has sympathy for his teammate Bertram Allen, who was ruled out. He joins Shane Sweetnam (James Kann Cruz), Cian O’Connor (Maurice) and Daniel Coyle (Legacy) on the team.

“It’s unhappy circumstances for Bertram, who loses out and his horse was amazing in Aachen,” Kenny told The Irish Field, “but it’s great to get the opportunity to go. My horse feels really good, he has already been to an Olympics and, if he is needed, he will be ready.”

Kenny has campaigned the 17-year-old stallion, who is owned by Heathman Farm, lightly in recent years after the pair finished 17th at the Tokyo Games.

“He did a lot after Tokyo, but then we gave him a break and then he had a small injury, so he was out for three or four months. I use him sparingly now, he can walk into any big Grand Prix and be ready to go, so I keep him now for some of the bigger shows and he seems to enjoy that.

“His owners, Chris and Thea Stinnett, are unfortunately going to miss the Games again – it is their second time missing their horse at an Olympics, but they had other plans, which were hard to change at this late stage.”

Kenny will leave his stable in The Netherlands on Tuesday to fly to Paris, while the horse will also leave early on Tuesday morning for the five-hour journey to Versailles.

The show jumping horses will enter the venue on Tuesday afternoon and competition begins on Thursday with the first team qualifier. Team medals will be decided on Friday.

Bertram Allen’s horse Pacino Amiro was ruled out on Tuesday with a minor injury. “I’m very disappointed – to be chosen for the Olympics is the highest honour in the sport, so this is a tough one to take. I’m also disappointed for Buddy (Pacino Amiro), as he really was in such great form coming into it and we were ready to go, if we were called upon.”