McGrath and Irish drawn first

Virginia McGrath, who produced such a brilliant round as pathfinder for the Irish at last year's World Equestrian games in Rome, is trailblazer for the entire competition when she starts as number one at the European three-day event championships at Luhmuhlen in Germany today.

Ireland has been drawn first of the 14 nations with full teams, but chef d'equipe Helen Cantillon-O'Keeffe, a member of Ireland's gold medal winning team at the European championships in Luhmuhlen 20 years ago, is convinced that the number one slot will suit her riders.

"I think it's great that we're going early," she said yesterday. "If the heat gets up it could be a major factor on cross-country day. The course is big and it's fair, but there are a couple of big questions asked on it, particularly at the first water and the farmyard."

Virginia McGrath and The Yellow Earl, who finished 19th and best of the Irish in Rome last autumn, perform their dressage at 9.0 this morning, followed by Irish team debutante Joanne Jarden with the mare Bellecanna. Last of the Irish today is individual runner Sasha Harrison, who was a member of the gold medal winning young rider squad in Achselschwang, Germany, four years ago.

Tomorrow's line-up includes another team first-timer, Nicola Cassidy, who rides Mr Mullins, the horse that finished eighth and best of the home side at the Punchestown three-star in mid-May.

Jane O'Flynn, who tuned up for this week's senior championships with a superb win at the Necarne Castle two-star on her mother's horse Gormley last weekend, runs as an individual with Kilnadeema Star in the early afternoon tomorrow.

Austin O'Connor also makes his championship debut, having earned his spot on the Irish team with a superb fourth place on his first ever Badminton with Simply Rhett this spring. The mare was held over for reinspection at Badminton, but there was no doubt about her soundness at Luhmuhlen yesterday and she was only asked to run up again having galloped down the trot-up strip the first time.

The Irish are here in search of a repeat of their victory 20 years ago, having already earned a qualifying slot for next year's Olympic Games after finishing sixth in the original line-up at the world games last October. The Irish were then promoted to fifth after the disqualification of the entire British team following a positive dope test.

As a result of positive urine sample from Coral Cove, the horse that killed his rider Polly Phillipps in a fall last month, the British team lost its bronze medal and Olympic place and are in Luhmuhlen in a last-ditch effort to guarantee a ticket to Sydney next year. The German hosts are also looking to secure one of the three remaining qualifying places but, along with the British, will be battling it out against the Swiss, Dutch, Belgians, Poles, Spanish and Portuguese.