It was welcome news indeed to hear that knowledgeable breeder, producer and international show jumper Marion Hughes of Kilkenny had achieved election to the Irish Horse Board in the recent south Leinster Region 2 ballot.

A measure of the input she could contribute can be gleaned from the fact that she bred no less than five of the 25 mares that obtained "Select'' status at the most recent ISH Studbook inspections.

But more than that, she is from a family that has probably done more than any other to help bring the Irish Sport Horse into the modern era. One can only hope that her willingness to put her name forward for what is a demanding function will encourage others with similar background and experience to contest IHB elections in their particular area.

GREG'S MOUNTAIN

From Greg Broderick’s Ballypatrick Stables near Thurles, you can look south to the Galtees and north to the Devil’s Bit but it is a very different mountain that Ireland’s sole Olympic show jumper has to climb during the coming week in Rio. Yet one gets the feeling that neither the determined cool-headed Tipperary man nor his brave fence-clearing Going Global will be fazed by the five-round challenge facing them.

The opposition is mighty with at least five former Olympic gold medallists among the 75 starters from 27 nations. Including Greg, 12 of those are individuals, who will jump the same tracks as the team members in the first three rounds this coming Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday. His goal will be to get through those first three tests set by Brazil’s Guilherme Jorge and make the cut into the group of 35 that will contest the first of two individual final rounds on Friday of next week, 19 August.

First up tomorrow, MHS Going Global will go through his inspection. On Saturday there is a training session from 2pm – 6.30pm Irish time. The first one-round competition for both teams and individuals takes place on Sunday from 2pm and the penalties are carried forward from this. After a rest day on Monday come two big team round courses on Tuesday and Wednesday.

At the end of these, the team medals will be given and the 35 riders going forward to the second inspection on Thursday to do battle for individual medals on Friday will be announced. All 35 begin the first of Friday’s rounds on zero score and just the top 20 out of that go forward to the second round decider.

Greg says of Going Global, “he loves work and gets better as the days go on.” This is just what will be wanted in Rio - a brave, single-minded jumper that dares fences to beat him.

CONFIDENT

Team manager Robert Splaine is confident about his selection and notes that he will be with Greg every step of the way. Walking the courses is going to be an especially crucial exercise because if there is one thing that could catch the Irish combination out, it is the tricky distances like those that had them lower some poles in the crucial European Championships at Aachen last year.

Our hearts and best wishes go with Greg and Going Global by Guidam Junior out of Gowran Lady, bred by the late Ita Brennan and her son Tom at Mill House Stud in Gowran back in 2006. May they climb the Rio Olympic mountain the way they did in St Gallen, Estoril or Dublin by consistently doing what they do best – jump double clears.