CHEF d’equipe Michael Blake will be hoping to secure Team Ireland’s qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Herning and has selected a team full of experience to go to attempt the task. The top five teams, excluding France (Olympic host nation), will get their qualifying place.

“I’ve selected a vastly experienced team. I believe we can get a great result at the World Championships; I think we’ll certainly be in contention to win a medal,” Blake said.

“We have been building towards this and have had four Nations Cups wins. It has been a very good year so far and I’m looking forward to the team going out there and performing well.”

*EDIT* Darragh Kenny has withdrawn VDL Cartello due to a veterinary issue with the 15-year-old stallion.

Rider: Bertram Allen (26)

Horse: Pacino Amiro (Pacino x NC Amiro)

Owner: Aidan McGrory

Form: Represented Ireland at last year’s Tokyo Olympic Games as a nine-year-old, finishing 15th. The pair started the year in top form, winning a five-star Grand Prix in Wellington, Florida. They won a five-star 1.55m in Stockholm last month and showed good form in the five-star Nations Cup in Knokke despite four faults in each round. The 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse has enormous scope for the top-level sport.

Rider: Daniel Coyle (27)

Horse: Legacy (Chippendale Z x Bon Ami)

Owner: Ariel Grange and Daniel Coyle

Form: Made their senior championship debut at last summer’s FEI European Championships where they finished in 10th place. Started 2022 in good form, winning a three-star Grand Prix in Ocala, Florida and coming close in a five-star at Wellington before jumping double clear in the five-star Nations Cup in Rotterdam to convince Michael Blake to bring them to Herning.

Rider: Cian O’Connor (42)

Horse: C Vier 2 (Cardento 933 x Condorde)

Owner: Susan Magnier

Form: The 14-year-old gelding joined the three-time Olympian’s team in May after a hugely successful career with Germany’s David Will under whom he won a team silver medal at the 2021 FEI European Championships. Slotted into O’Connor regime with ease, winning a four-star class in Wiesbaden and jumping a clear round in both Rome and Knokke Nations Cup. A man for the big day, O’Connor will be ready for the task at hand.

Rider: Denis Lynch (46)

Horse: Brooklyn Heights (Nabab de Reve x For Pleasure)

Owner: Molly Ohrstrom

Form: Another new season horse for the Irish team, Denis added the 13-year-old gelding to his string in February and the pair have struck up a wining partnership. There biggest win came in the five-star Rolex Grand Prix of Rome in May before going on to jump double clear in the Sopot Nations Cup. Lynch back on a championship team for the first time since 2017 when he helped Ireland win team gold at the European Championships.

*WITHDRAWN*Rider: Darragh Kenny (34)

Horse: VDL Cartello (Cartani 4 x Lord)

Owner: Heathman Farm LLC

Form: One of two horses on the team that competed at last year’s Tokyo Olympic Games, where they finished 17th individually. They finished out their 2021 season with a double clear at the FEI Nations Cup final in Barcelona and double clear and fourth place in the Rolex Grand Prix of Geneva and have just competed at five international shows this year, where results include a runner-up finish in the five-star GCT Grand Prix of Madrid.

Read about the dressage and para dressage teams here.