Team Audevard Great Britain fought hard in a tense, exciting Nations Cup of Ireland at Dublin Horse Show to take third place
Friday 16 August 2024
.jpg "Team Audevard Great Britain fought hard in a tense, exciting Nations Cup of Ireland at Dublin Horse Show to take third place")
Great Britain's Team Audevard made a brilliant comeback to claim third in the Underwriting Exchange Team Nations Cup of Ireland at the world-famous Dublin Horse Show.
Eight teams contended on the beautiful green turf of Dublin Horse Show’s main arena and the competition was strong from the off, with The USA and host nation Ireland posting a zero score at the halfway stage.
Britain initially claimed the favourable draw over the 12-fence 1.60m course and, although newly-crowned Paris Olympics team gold medallist Ben Maher supplied an immaculate double clear, round one didn’t go according to plan for the British team. They stood seventh, only ahead of France, who suffered a disaster with two eliminations and would go no further.
World number two, Ben and the 15-year-old Exit Remo were again foot-perfect for the team.
Tim Gredley and Unex Competition Yard’s 12-year-old Medoc De Toxandria tapped out the first and last elements of the combination – finished round one in eight. Tim took care at the combination, supporting Medoc all the way to power home with a much-needed clear round. It was game on as Britain steadily moved up the order.
Jodie Hall-McAteer started off well with Mandy Hall’s Hardessa, but the 12-year-old mare was going high over the fences, and the midway triple bar and open water caught them out, followed by another two fences falling in the final line to post the round one discard score. Jodie used slightly different tactics in round two and powered over the first half of the course with no problem, but Hardessa again jumped high over the water to pick up four faults and lowered three fences in the final line, including the last, to again finish on 16.
It was all down to Matt Sampson and James Davenport’s 16-year-old stallion Daniel. The pair just rolled the back rail of the Rolex oxer after the water in round one, but Matt was all the more determined in round two. And it paid off as Matt got square to the water and powered over the Rolex oxer, coming home over the final line of oxer, vertical to oxer double and final big oxer to seal the deal with a crucial clear.
The mighty USA finished on a team total of four faults to take the Aga Khan Cup home with host nation Ireland, who put up a valiant fight, in second on eight. Great Britain's Team Audevard finished third on a total of 12, the three clears in round two leap-frogging them up onto the podium.
Chef d’Equipe Di Lampard was delighted: “We were a little slow out of the starting traps. Ben got us off to a good start but the others were a little steady, but they are so determined, they turned it around; it was a good afternoon and full of British Bulldog spirit. We had a couple of horse changes that set us back a little, but they got stuck in to take another podium place – a very good result at this level.”
Nations Cup of Ireland for the Aga Khan Trophy
Dublin Horse Show - Friday, 16 August
1st United States of America – 0/4 = 4
2nd Ireland – 0/8 = 8
3rd Team Audevard Great Britain – 12/0 = 12
Ben Maher & Exit Remo – 0/0
Tim Gredley & Medoc De Toxandria – 8/0
Jodie Hall-McAteer & Hardessa – (16)/(16)
Matt Sampson & Daniel – 4/0
