Written by Eleanor Kelly
The Cross-Country course conditions played to the Irish strengths this weekend, as an experienced quartet claimed their second FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ win of the season. After winning their home event in Millstreet (IRL), their victory in this the final leg of the Series in Boekelo (NED), came down to some masterful jumping performances in the Cross-Country and Jumping phases. Their finishing score of 102.6 penalties put them well out in front of Team USA on a final total of 116.1, with Germany trailing in third on 131.9.
Eleven teams came forward to compete in this CCIO4* long-format competition which saw a real shake-up in the leaderboard after the Dressage phase. The Netherlands who once again played host to this popular and thrilling Nations Cup finale, finished in ninth spot on 298.9 penalties.
After several weeks of rain affecting the ground conditions, the Organisers had to make a number of changes to the Cross-Country course. With horse and athlete welfare in mind, a loop of the course was removed by Course Designer Adrian Ditcham, to ensure footing throughout.
The Irish team consisted of three members of the team who competed at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games this summer: Susie Berry, Aoife Clarke and Austin O’Connor were joined by the equally experienced and previous Olympian Padraig McCarthy. Three solid and speedy Cross-Country rounds from Berry, Clarke and McCarthy meant they rose from sixth after the Dressage, to pole position going into the final Jumping phase. With just a fence in hand between them and second placed USA, they kept their cool, with Berry and McCarthy jumping clear rounds and Clark taking just one rail, to finish decisive winners of this long-format competition.
Speaking after their performance, Clarke summed up emotions in the Irish camp. “It’s been a brilliant week. The team have performed top of their game, and this win means so much. You can see when we came out (of the prize giving), we were all just over the moon with it. It is a great way to end the year and exciting for next year.”
“We like mud. The Irish are good in mud.”
Aoife Clarke (IRL)
Of the 93 combinations that started in the CCIO 4*-L competition, 72 rode through the Cross-Country finish. Course Designer Adrian Ditcham praised the team at Boekelo for their efforts to ensure a successful competition which offered enough excitement for athletes and spectators and he was delighted with how it went overall.
“It has been a tough week for myself and the team. Some of the things we had to change to get the right footing were absolutely the right decision. When we made those changes to take out the loop in the first part of the course so that changed the balance of the course, but overall, it went great today, I am very pleased with that”.
Irish rider Clarke, spoke highly of the Nations Cup Series and particularly this crescendo to the season. “The Nations Cup final here in Boekelo is a huge deal and it means a huge amount to anyone competing. It has a real weight to it that is more than some of the individual legs. They (the Organisers) have really done well here, there’s a great atmosphere- it’s built up to a really fun end of the competition. I love Boekelo and would come back every year if I had a horse for it- I love the enthusiasm of the supporters and the work that went in to getting the Cross-Country right. The ground rode well yesterday. It was testing but it held up really well and the work they have done is just unbelievable.”
Team France were overall leaders in the final standings of the 2024 Nations Cup Series with 425 points. Having finished in the top three at four out of five of the legs they entered, they finished well ahead of Germany in second on 320 points. Great Britain were third on 300 points.
A total of 15 teams competed in The FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ Series this year, which will return to the calendar in 2025.
Feature image: Team Ireland take the win for the FEI Eventing Nations Cup in Boekelo (NED) . L-R: Padraig McCarthy and Pomp N Circumstance; Susannah Berry and Clever Trick; Austin O’Connor and Isazsa; Aofie Clark and Sportsfield Freelance. FEI/Libby Law Photography
Suzanne Ashton, Founder of Everything Horse (Est, 2012), has a BA Hons in Marketing Management and a Diploma in Equine Science. Suzanne has ridden and owned horses all her life and has twelve years of experience in marketing, writing, design, SEO, and website creation.