Kildare-born Anna Merveldt finished second in Saturday’s Grand Prix at the three-star show in Stadl Paura in Austria with her 14-year-old gelding Coryolano, just over two points behind Germany's Olympic gold medallist Ulla Salzgeber.
But it was Naas-born Judy Reynolds's tenth place with Remember in the Grand Prix that radically changed Ireland's profile for the upcoming World Equestrian Games (WEG) in Kentucky, USA.
A single score above 65 per cent by one of this evening's judges tipped Reynolds into qualification for WEG, meaning that Ireland now has a dressage team for Kentucky, comprising Reynolds, Merveldt and the reigning Irish national dressage champion Yvette Truesdale from Hillsborough, Co Down.
DRESSAGE RESULTS: CDI3* STADL PAURA AUSTRIA APRIL 1-4, 2010
FAMILIE MAG. HAIM-SWAROVSKI - FRITZENS PRIZE
Grand Prix - Tour A
Saturday April 3 2010
1) Wakana 0; Ulla SALZGEBER (GER) 71.319 per cent
2) Coryolano; Anna MERVELDT (IRL) 68.936 per cent
3) Lamborghini 64; Anna-Katharina LUTTGEN (GER) 68.213 per cent
10) Remember 143; Judy REYNOLDS (IRL) 65.064 per cent
20 starters
