Event: Three-day eventing
Who are they? Clare Abbott, Jonty Evans, Mark Kyle and Padraig McCarthy were nominated by Horse Sport Ireland to the Olympic Council of Ireland to represent Ireland
Where are they from? Abbot is 29-years-old from and based at Hillsborough in Northern Ireland. Evans is 44-years-old and based in Britain. Kyle is also British based and 42 while McCarthy is 38-years-old from Tipperary.
Olympic CV: Kyle is the only one with previous Olympic experience. He competed at the 2004 Games in Athens and London 2012 where the Irish team finished fifth.
Road to Rio: Qualification for the Games was claimed two years ago during the World Equestrian Games in France but, with ten riders and 13 horses qualified, the team had to the whittled down.
When does they start? The dressage element of the eventing competition gets underway at 2pm on day one, 6 August.
Where can I follow them? The easiest way to follow the team is by keeping an eye on @TeamIRLEq:
What they says:
“We will be fielding a very competitive squad in Rio. I would like to thank all of the owners that made their horses available for selection.”
Speaking to Horse Sport Ireland, Team Manager Nick Turner spoke of the difficulty of choosing the team.
Medal chances? Ireland were unlucky not to medal in London. If things fall their way, the could definitely be standing on the podium.
And here’s something you probably didn’t know…
The travelling reserve will be Camilla Speirs with Portersize Just A Jiff.
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