Hanley misses out on European medal

Though Ireland's Cameron Hanley jumped a double clear round with just a single time fault in the final competition of the European Individual Show Jumping Championships in Windsor, England on Sunday, he missed winning a medal by just .65 of a point.

Climbing from overnight ninth place, the 36-year-old Mayo man and Sevil Sabanci's grey stallion 'SIEC Livello' went out on the Windsor track with cool determination and delivered one of only two Irish clear rounds to finish in fourth place at the halfway point.

With Cian O'Connor also on a clear with Aileen Bryan's 'Rancorrado', but further down the overnight rankings, and Darragh Kerins dropping a single fence on Double-H Farm's 'Night Train', Hanley was the only Irish rider within reasonable medal contention as the second round began.

Once again 'SIEC Livello' delivered a foot-perfect performance, but
went over the time to leave the combination with what would prove to be a medal-defining single fault.

A first-fence calamity by second round leader Albert Zoer and 'Oki
Doki' lifted Irish hopes momentarily, but the experienced Dutch rider held his nerve to finish on just four faults and snatch the bronze medal from Hanley's grasp in the dying seconds of the championship.

Afterwards Hanley said: 'I think it was a great achievement to come fourth, but of course you don't get many chances at a European medal and it would have been nice to take one today. I'm delighted with the horse, I've had him since he was a six year-old and he didn't put a foot wrong here today, which is what we set out to achieve. I'm now looking forward to next year and the World Equestrian Games.'

Overnight fifth-placed Darragh Kerins finished 12th in the European Individual rankings, and Cian O'Connor climbed seven places from 20th overnight to 13th. The Individual Championship was eventually won by France's Kevin Staut.

Ireland last won a European Individual medal in 1995 when Peter
Charles took Gold with 'La Ina', and prior to that only Eddie Macken reached the top three when he won Silver with 'Kerrygold' in 1977.

SHOW JUMPING RESULTS: CH-EU-D/S EUROPEAN JUMPING AND DRESSAGE CHAMPIONSHIPS WINDSOR CASTLE GREAT BRITAIN AUGUST 25 - 30 2009

Alltech FEI European Championship for Jumping - Windsor 2009
Individual Final result

1) Kraque Boom*Bois Margot; Kevin Staut (FRA) Faults 0.00/0.00 TOTAL
PENALTIES 9.42
2) Corradina; Carsten-Otto Nagel (GER) Faults 0.00/0.00 TOTAL
PENALTIES 9.64
3) Oki Doki; Albert Zoer (NED) Faults 0.00/4.00 TOTAL PENALTIES 11.18
4) S.I.E.C. Livello; Cameron Hanley (IRL) Faults 0.00/1.00 TOTAL
PENALTIES 11.83

12) Night Train; Darragh Kerins (IRL) Faults 4.00/8.00 TOTAL PENALTIES 20.85
13) Rancorrado; Cian O'Connor (IRL) Faults 0.00/5.00 TOTAL PENALTIES 21.18