O'Connor takes win in Belgium
Thursday, 30 April 2009 21:26Cian O'Connor won the opening competition at the four-star show in Lummen, Belgium on Thursday evening, setting him up nicely for Friday's Nations' Cup clash.
The 29-year-old piloted the Irish-bred Clover Echo mare Irish
Independent Echo Beach to victory in a large starting field of 76,
beating Belgian challenger Ludo Philippaerts by less than half a
second in the 23 horse jump-off.
O'Connor will open for Ireland in the Belgian leg of the Nations' Cup with the ten year-old gelding Splendor, followed by David Simpson with the Irish-bred Cruising mare Cruise With Me.
Irish team manager Robert Splaine has selected Denis Lynch and Thomas Straumann's Abbervail van het Dingeshof as third to jump, while anchorman will be Cork's Billy Twomey and the bay stallion Je t'Aime Flamenco.
Ireland have been drawn third to jump of ten teams competing for the Cup. The competition is scheduled to start at 1.30pm Irish time.
