Nine Irish riders lined up for Badminton trials

Padraig McCarthy (pictured left) is one of nine Irish riders entered for next month’s Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials (May 2-6).

He is expected to be joined by Clare Abbott (Euro Prince), Aoife Clark (Master Rory), Jonty Evans (Cooley Rorkes Drift), Ciaran Glynn (Killossery Jupiter Rising/November Night, Joseph Murphy (Sportsfield Othello), James O’Haire (China Doll), Michael Ryan (Dunlough Striker) and Patricia Ryan (Dunrath Eclipse).

All are members of the 2018 WEG squad who will be vying for places for the World Equestrian Games in Tryon, USA in September.

This will be the first opportunity for the Irish eventing team to qualify for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

Although overall numbers for Badminton are slightly down on previous years, a total of 14 countries will be repre- sented this year.

Last year’s winner Andrew Nicholson from New Zealand returns with Nereo and will again take on double Olympic champion Michael Jung and La Biosthetique Sam-FBW, winners themselves in 2016.

Britain’s leading challenger will be Oliver Townend, another previous Mitsubishi Motors Trophy winner, with his Burghley champion, Ballaghmor Class.

There are eight previous win- ners in the field and these also include the four-time champion Mark Todd of New Zealand and Australians Paul Tapner and Sam Griffiths.

Attention will undoubtedly focus once more on Yoshi Oiwa from Japan, with the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games on the horizon.

A change of nationality sees Lissa Green, daughter of sixtime champion Lucinda, now riding for her father David’s native Australia.