PARIS 2024 OLYMPIC EQUESTRIAN – Austin O’Connor best of the Irish individually as Irish Eventing team finish ninth overall 

Austin O’Connor celebrates a clear round in the final of the Eventing competition with Colorado Blue (Photo: Libby Law Photography)

For the second Olympic Games in-a-row, Cork’s Austin O’Connor has finished best of the Irish Eventing riders, taking 17th place overall following today’s (Monday) final of the individual Eventing competition at Paris 2024.

Riding the 15-year-old gelding Colorado Blue, O’Connor was among the top 25 who qualified this morning for the individual final. A perfect clear in the afternoon final saw four time Olympian O’Connor, who finished 13th at the Tokyo Games, finish in 17th place overall at the Paris Games, while Susie Berry also took 31st place for Ireland with Wellfields Lincon. Germany’s Michael Jung was crowned Olympic Champion for the third time, with silver going to Australia’s Christoper Burton, while Britain’s Laura Collet claimed individual bronze.

The Irish Eventing team of Sarah Ennis, Aoife Clark, Susie Berry and Austin O’Connor finished in ninth place overall on a final score of 157.10. Britain took the team gold medal on a score of 91.30 with the home team from France taking the silver on 103.60. History was made when Japan won their first ever Olympic Eventing medal with the Irish-bred MGH Grafton Street (ISH) bred in Co Meath by Martin Collins, playing a key role with Oiwa Yoshiaki in the saddle.

The Martin Collins-bred MGH Grafton Street (ISH) helped Japan to the team bronze medal at Paris 2024 Photo: Libby Law Photography

BREEDING
MGH Grafton Street (ISH) [was Bannerfarm Rocket] – 2008 gelding OIO by OBOS Quality 004 (OLD). Breeder: Martin Collins. Rider: Yoshiaki Oiwa (JPN)