Irish Team Gears Up For Aachen Nations Cup Battle

IRELAND¹S SHOW JUMPING team this afternoon (Friday June 28) faces one of its most daunting competitions in the current Samsung Nations Cup series.

Aachen in Germany is a four-star Nations Cup event, and traditionally attracts the cream of European riders and horses. Ireland is currently battling its way up from Sixth position in the Samsung Nations Cup League, and badly needs the 10 points that a victory at Aachen today would produce.

Up against the Irish squad of Cian O'Connor, Dermott Lennon, Peter Charles and Kevin Babington, will be crack teams from France, Germany, Gt. Britain, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Italy and Belgium.

Ireland also needs a good position in the Samsung League to ensure qualification for the World Equestrian Games in Spain this September.

The order of jumping for Ireland this afternoon will be
1) Kevin Babington (Carling King)
2) Cian O'Connor (Waterford Crystal)
3) Peter Charles (Corrada)
4) Dermott Lennon (Liscalgot)

Chef d¹Equipe for the team is Tommy Wade. Final results are expected before 6 p.m. Irish time.

Ireland has won two Nations Cup competitions in the current 2001/2002 series (Washington, Toronto), was Third at Wellington, USA, and Poznan, Poland, and Fourth at Linz, Austria.

However, Ireland's Cian O'Connor is presently ranked No.1 in the Nations Cup Leading Rider Rankings, and Kevin Babington No.3. O'Connor's horse <Waterford Crystal>is joint No. 1 in the Leading Horse Rankings with Babington's <Carling King>.

The Aachen Nations Cup website address is http://www.chioaachen.de/

RESULTS WILL ALSO BE AVAILABLE ON THE EQUESTRIAN FEDERATION OF IRELAND
WEBSITE http://www.horsesport.ie

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