Olympic fever to ride into Ennis

WITH Olympic fever still riding high, The Clare Champion can reveal that medal-winning showjumper Cian O’Connor will be making an appearance in Ennis in September.

The Meath-based rider will be taking part in the upcoming Showjumping Ireland National Championships in the Showgrounds, running from Friday, September 7 to Sunday, September 9.

Confirming the bronze medal winner’s appearance at the Showgrounds, show director, Jimmy Quinn said, “We are delighted that Cian O’Connor will be taking part in the national championships. He has been here before and he was very complementary of the surface here in Ennis, he likes it a lot. He has told us that the return of the Irish championships to Ennis is a real endorsement of the investment that has been made to the arena. To have an Irish Olympian here is very special. He has always been very supportive of Irish showjumping and county shows particularly.”

Mr Quinn said he expects the appearance of the Olympian will prove a major draw for the championships which will have a prize fund of €50,000.

“This championship is the biggest showjumping event in Ireland outside of the internationals so there is already a lot of interest in it. Because it is on over a weekend, we expect even bigger crowds than last year. There is no gate charge for the championships and we expect that having Cian O’Connor there will no doubt be a big draw,” he said.

Meanwhile, the forthcoming championships have received a major boost with the confirmation that Dubai Duty Free has come on board again this year as one of the main sponsors.

Colm McLoughlin, executive vice-chairman of Dubai Duty Free noted, “We are delighted to be renew our sponsorship of the SJI National Showjumping Championships in Ennis.  Continuing our association the horse industry in Ireland, this is a great opportunity to showcase our brand in the Mid-West of Ireland.”

Mr Quinn added, “We have been very fortunate to have the continued backing of both Showjumping Ireland (SJI) chairman, Mr Christy Murphy, who was instrumental in bringing these championships back to Ennis, and indeed the sponsorship of DDF who have contributed greatly to the €50,000 prize fund, ensuring this will be a very attractive championship.”