Challenging final day sees O’Connor finish in 13th place

SHOWJUMPER Cian O’Connor finished 13th individually as the FEI World Equestrian Games in Tryon, USA came to a close yesterday, writes LOUISE PARKES.

Lying sixth of the 25 through to the last day medal-decider with his 12-year-old stallion Good Luck, he lowered two fences in the first round and just missed the cut into the top-12 finale.

“Good Luck has been in good form all week, he has jumped well and was maybe a little bit out of gas today. He just wasn’t firing like he normally can,” the 38-year-old said.

“I thought he had a good chance. The courses are fair [that] Alan Wade is building and it hasn’t been ginormous where you see people really struggling. It has been clever little tests all over the place.

“It has been difficult, it’s a very demanding, unusual heat here, it has been a tough week for the horses.”

Meanwhile, history was made when Germany’s Simone Blum (29) became only the second woman ever to take the title that dates back to 1953. The most recent female champion was America’s Gail Greenough, who came out on top in Aachen in 1986.

Her fabulous mare, DSP Alice, never touched a pole all week and proved untouchable for gold. Unlike so many of her opponents, Blum – who is based in Bavaria – has only one horse competing at the top end but her selection for the German side that took team bronze on Friday was no surprise.

Blum was last to go in yesterday’s second and ultimate round over another hugely testing course built by Ireland’s Wade. She had a fence in hand but didn’t need it, cruising home with relative ease to clinch it despite adding a single time fault.

The Swiss were disappointed when slipping off the team medal podium on Friday but had plenty to celebrate when Martin Fuchs (26) snatched silver with Clooney ahead of fellow countryman and 2012 Olympic champion Steve Guerdat (36), who claimed bronze with Bianca.