Ireland have won their first medal at the FEI Eventing European Championships in 30 years, claiming silver in England.
The Irish team consisted of Padraig McCarthy, Robbie Kearns, Aoife Clark and Ian Cassells on board Pomp N Circumstance, Chance Encounter, Full Monty De Lacense and Millridge Atlantis.
Germany came out on top with 124.9 in penalties, Ireland on 161.9 and France took bronze with 167.5.
Ireland had been in seventh place after the opening dressage phase on Friday, before an outstanding cross country performance on Saturday moved the Irish up five places to second heading into the final showjumping phase.
With Clark suffering an elimination during the cross country, the pressure was still on Ireland in the final phase as all scores from their remaining three riders would count. Dag Albert's team kept their cool with a clear round from McCarthy along with a single rail apiece from Cassells and Kearns.
McCarthy finished best of the Irish individually in 12th place, with Cassells 14th, Sarah Ennis 15th, and Kearns 18th. The European Championship individual gold medal has been won by Britain’s Laura Collett and London 52. Germany’s Michael Jung and Fisherchipmunk FRH took the silver, while Britain’s Tom McEwen and JL Dublin secured the bronze.
Ireland’s last European Championship team medal in Eventing came at Pratoni del Vivaro in Italy in 1995, when the Irish team of Mark Barry, Virginia McGrath, Eric Smiley and Lucy Thompson took home the bronze medal.
The last European silver medal win for Ireland was on home soil in Punchestown in 1991 with the quartet of Sonya Duke, Olivia Holohan, Jeremy Spring and Fiona Wentges, while Ireland’s sole European Championship Eventing team gold medal win remains as the 1979 triumph in Luhmühlen, Germany of John Watson, David Foster, Alan Lillingston and Helen Cantillon.
