THE Irish eventing team are lying in 11th place after dressage at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Action kicked off at the Château de Versailles this morning (Saturday) with 64 horse and rider combinations going down the centreline in a long day of dressage.

Britain hold both the team and individual medal position. The team's score of 66.70 is some 7.39 penalties ahead of Germany (74.10) while the home nation of France occupy the bronze medal position at this early stage on 80.70. Hot on their heels are New Zealand (83.00), Japan (87.40) and USA (88.90).

Britain’s Laura Collett first broke David O’Connor’s record of 19.3 (Sydney 2000) when riding for her life to an incredible 17.50 with London 52 and holds the gold medal position.

It was a day of spectacular sport at a venue which delivered in spades despite the persistent rain.

Sarah Ennis was Ireland’s pathfinder and was fourth into the incredibly atmospheric arena with Susanne Macken and Andrew Cox’s Action Lady M (Plot Blue x Acorado).

The 10-year-old mare started with some nice trot work but spooked at the bottom left-hand side of the arena and was tense through the remainder of the test. They ended on a score of 38.0 for 54th place individually.

Ennis was disappointed afterwards, commenting: “I went in and I gave her every opportunity. But when you fill the place full of people and the cameras are moving, it’s difficult. It was more when she came to the bottom of the arena and just went ‘oh’ but you have to ride what you're on. Generally, she's sharp. And I call her the gawker… When she gawks at something, you can't soften her… she has supersonic hearing!”

Incredible journey

Ennis now turns her attention to the cross-country and she will be fourth out tomorrow (Sunday) morning. “It looks really nice, I think it will cause trouble,” she said of Pierre Le Goupil’s nine-minute track. “I think the course builder is very clever. I think when you add the speed, and there's so many options, he's trying to baffle us a bit!

“I'll never see another country course like that. It's amazing, beautiful. The venue and the view, even just walking it, you never get bored of looking at the Palace.”

On the owners and breeder, Ennis added: “They're delighted, it's so lovely for them. It's been a long road to get here, and quite a nerve-wracking one, because obviously everything had to go right and but they're thrilled to be here and to have bred her and still own her and come on this incredible journey.”

Sarah Ennis and Action Lady M at the Paris Olympic Games \ Tomas Holcbecher

Surreal

Susie Berry was next of the Irish into the arena with the 11-year-old bay gelding Wellfields Lincoln (Luidam x Priolo xx), owned by Sue Wilkinson and Anne Marling. Some really nice work saw them finish on a score of 33.0. They hold 32nd place individually.

“I was thrilled with him,” Berry commented afterwards. “He is quite a spooky horse and he really felt quite alert today. Even from this morning, it was like he knew that it was something different. But he really tried to keep it together. I thought the trot felt beautiful and just when I picked up the canter, he just felt a little bit tense through his back, so I lost a few moves that usually he'd do really naturally and easily. But it's his first time being in an atmosphere like that so I thought he handled it well.”

On the cross-country, Berry said: “There is loads to do the whole way around and I think the rain has made the ground feel a lot wetter underfoot. So it'll be interesting to see how that holds up.

“That first water, I think there will be hundreds, maybe thousands, of people up there. I think that will be interesting how they jump through that and then it'll give you a bit of a feel of how they're going to go for the rest of the track.”

Susie Berry and Wellfields Lincoln at the Paris Olympic Games \ Tomas Holcbecher

Irish leader

Last to go for Ireland was anchorman Austin O’Connor with the Salty Syndicate’s Colorado Blue (Jaguar Mail x Rock King), bred by Kate Jarvey. They produced some excellent work throughout, though the flying changes were not perfect and lost them some marks. They finished with the best Irish score of 31.7 and lie in 28th place.

“I was trying to break the 30 barrier but that's improved eight marks from Tokyo. I think a lot of his work was real quality. Obviously, the changes didn't quite come off quite yet, as we hoped but, other than that, he didn't put a foot wrong. He tried his best and it is what it is. Bring on tomorrow,” O’Connor commented afterwards.

Asked about how the now wet ground would suit his horse, O’Connor added: “I think it's going to be an interesting day. The ground is getting soft, I wouldn't get that cocky about it, but it’s certainly going to change the complex of the competition and hopefully the blood horses will come to the fore.”

Cross-country

Attention now turns to tomorrow's (Sunday) cross-country competition, beginning at 10.30am (9.30am Irish time). With persistent rain in Versailles for two days, the complexion of the competition is likely to change tomorrow. Sarah Ennis will be fourth out on course at 10.42am (9.42 Irish time).

RTÉ will be showing some cross-country coverage, but to watch every minute, you will need a subscription. Click here for the details.

Full results here.

Cross-country start list here.

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