Show jumper, eventer, course builder and horse trader Tommy Brennan had a word for anything he felt was excellent. “Olympic” he would call it.

Right now, if he was still with us he would surely apply that word to Ireland’s eventing high performance manager Sally Corscadden as she keeps our hopes for Tokyo 2020 alive. This is in spite of the difficulties thrown up by both the COVID-19 pandemic and Brexit.

“Yes it is challenging,” she says but then calmly adds, “we are working on it and we will find a way.”

Finding that way, means taking Japan’s Prime Minister Joshihide Suga at his word and assuming that the Games are going to go ahead.

“The Japanese want to make it happen. It will be very different but the advice we have is to keep training, keep fit and be ready,” Sally says.

Qualification

She notes that most of those on her recently published list of candidates for places have already made their Minimal Eligibility Requirement (MER) for the Games, but the few horses that still have to meet the standard have until 21 June to do so.

As to the events available, we will have three international events here at home. Corscadden hopes Irish riders can also take part in two events in Britain and one in Germany as well. The home events are Ballindenisk plus two at Millstreet. The Duggan family have taken over the former Tattersalls date on the June Bank Holiday and also plan to run their regular event in August.

Medal hopes

Corscadden notes that the new format with teams of three instead of four can work in our favour, saying: “It is now more of a level playing field because all the favourites like Germany, Britain and France have just a 50/50 chance of getting all three home cross country. It is a much more open and high-risk competition that gives us a better chance of a medal.”

Up against humidity and the long travel, fitness of both horse and rider are going to paramount. This means taking part in as many of the events available as possible and in this regard Brexit and its fallout come into play. Lorries will have to be authorised and drivers certified for travel to Britain or through Britain to the continent. Sally also worries that the Brexit restrictions may also have an impact on entries for our home internationals as riders from abroad face the same difficulties.

Yet, despite the difficulties, Sally is still convinced that “we can find a way” and that, as Tommy would have said, is “Olympic”.