WHEN Austin O’Connor landed Ireland’s first five-star event win for almost six decades, he famously remarked, “People like me, we’re not supposed to win five-stars”. For those who have followed Austin’s career however, this fully deserved victory was always on the cards and was not only an immense personal triumph, but it crowned the entire season and was a boost to Ireland’s international eventing community as a whole.

O’Connor’s victory in Fair Hill aside, there was plenty more to celebrate. Armed with the knowledge that he had the Olympic qualification safely in the bag, acting high performance coach Dag Albert made good his promise to trial as many new and younger combinations as possible. As a result, team Ireland’s brilliant fourth placing at the European championships in Haras du Pin, was largely against the odds, and with the 10 countries represented, was no mean feat.