Digest: Michael Ryan, the sole Irish runner in yesterday's first day of dressage at the Badminton three-day event, is lying down the order in 31st place, but said he was delighted with the way the 12-year-old Old Ryan had performed in almost sweltering conditions.
"It was his best performance to date," the 30-year-old Badminton first-timer said yesterday. "I was a bit shell-shocked because he behaved so well. We lost a few marks on the technical side, but it was a nice, flowing test."
Ryan is aiming for a good result at Badminton in a bid to catch the eyes of the selectors for the world equestrian games in Aachen this summer, where the overnight leader here, Ingrid Klimke, will be competing on home ground.
The German, who is also making her Badminton debut, has the slimmest of leads, just .2 of a penalty, over British rider Ruth Edge. Terry Boon, who broke his femur in a fall from a novice horse last September, is in third, a further .3 of a penalty off the pace.
William Fox-Pitt, winner in 2004 and runner-up last year, has already pulled out of the competition with Tamarillo. The Mary Guinness-owned gelding was lying ninth and Fox-Pitt has opted to save his fire-power for the world games after a fall in Lexington last weekend with his Aachen understudy Coup de Coeur.
The only other Irish runner, Ann Hatton, performs her dressage tomorrow afternoon with Cool Kiwi.
BADMINTON THREE-DAY EVENT: 1 Germany's SLEEP LATE (Ingrid Klimke), 40.4 penalties; 2 Britain's Two Thyme (Ruth Edge), 40.6; 3 Britain's Foreign Exchange (Terry Boon), 40.9; 31 Ireland's Old Road (Michael Ryan), 65.6.
Ide dropped on advice from FIA
Formula One newcomers Super Aguri have replaced struggling Japanese rookie Yuji Ide with France's Franck Montagny on advice from the sport's governing body.
Montagny, a former Renault test driver, will make his race debut in Sunday's European Grand Prix.
Ide, 31, will carry out testing for the team away from race weekends. "We accept the advice offered by the FIA to allow Yuji to accrue the mileage he requires to improve in Formula One during testing days only," said team principal Aguri Suzuki in a statement.
Porterfield in squad to play Essex
Rush batsman William Porterfield has been included in the Ireland squad to play Essex in the C&G Trophy at Chelmsford on Sunday, writes James Fitzgerald. The Derry man has been brought in as cover for fellow left-hander Eoin Morgan who may be selected to play for Middlesex against Hampshire at Lord's the same day.
As expected, captain Trent Johnston was selected despite breaking a finger in Ireland's win over Gloucestershire.
IRELAND (squad, v Essex on Sunday): T Johnston, J Bray, E Morgan, Shahid Afridi, Saqlain Mushtaq, A Botha, D Joyce, P Gillespie, K McCallan, J Mooney, W Porterfield, D Langford-Smith, G Wilson.
