MATT RYAN, double Olympic gold medallist for Australia in Barcelona four years ago, tuned up for the defence of his title in Atlanta with a convincing win at the Blarney Castle international three day event yesterday.
After producing superb cross country and show jumping clears from the Irish gelding Gildor, the Australian rocketed up to the top after dressage leader Gordon Murphy and Zoltan fell at the water on Saturday.
Ryan was making amends for two runner up placings in Ireland last year, having finished second at both Punchestown and Necarne Castle, but his Blarney victory came at the expense of popular Kildare jockey Susan Shortt, who seems to be the eternal bridesmaid after finishing second at Punchestown five times, plus a hat trick of thirds.
Shortt and the Samiel mare Fiddles galloped up the placings with a superb tour of Saturday's testing cross country to slot into overnight fifth. A foot perfect tour of yesterday's show jumping track boosted Sue Magnier's eight year old to second which was some compensation for her son Tom missing his chance in the pony class after breaking his elbow in a fall in the school gym on the eve of Blarney.
Sarah Ennis, still eligible for young riders and now surely a certainty for the European championship squad, found her best ever form at senior level to finish third with the failed racehorse she rescued from the slaughter house Sovereign Mont, whose single error in the show jumping dropped her from overnight second. But Nicola Cassidy, winner at Necarne Castle last autumn with Sovereign Mont's halfbrother Clonlea Dusty, plummetted down the order from third to 22nd after Megastar ploughed through five fences.
America's Aletta Nickles was also a victim of the coloured poles when the Irish export Crackerjack V trailed off three to relinquish the national honours.
The pair had earned their invitation under international rules but it was young Co Antrim rider Stuart Crawford who topped the line up at the finish with the unpronouncable Kingatchacuk after adding a mere quarter of a time fault to his dressage mark.
Sally Corscadden and The Real Joker, whose only mistake came at the first part of the combination, held onto second ahead of Emma Kieran and Morning Darling.
The junior honours also went north of the border, with 17 year old Co Down youngster Peter Buchanan leading throughout on the talented Delamain gelding Macauley to finish with more than two fences in hand of the brilliant roan cob Snowhill and David Myerscough.
Young Aoife Sisk managed to cram a winning performance in the ponies between her German and music Junior Cert exams, claiming the advantage when dressage winners William Clarke and Flying Song picked up 20 penalties for a hesitation at the water on Saturday.
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