O'Connor turns in Complete performance to clinch win
Cian O'Connor and Complete on their way to victory over Denmark in the jump-off at the Nations Cup at Poznan
Saturday June 09 2007
CIAN O'CONNOR clinched Ireland's second victory in the FEI Nations Cup series in Poznan, Poland yesterday when pipping Denmark's Tina Lund in a jump-off against the clock.
The Irish were drawn second to go from a starting field of 14 nations and with three zero first-round scores - from O'Connor and his exciting new ride Complete, Ryan Crumley and Baltimore and Comdt Gerry Flynn with Mo Chroi - the Irish were sharing the lead with the Danes at the halfway stage.
Crumley and Flynn each faulted once second time out but O'Connor produced another clear that left Ireland still sharing pole position with Denmark, this time with both teams on eight faults.
Team manager Robert Splaine selected O'Connor for the two-way jump-off against Tina Lund and, first into the ring, the Irishman clipped a vertical to leave the door open for the Danish girl, but when Lund turned sharply to the third fence her horse stopped and, with the clock ticking, she added one time fault to those four faults and leave Ireland the winners by just one point.
O'Connor was delighted with the performance of the 10-year-old gelding he bought in the USA in January for Stephen O'Connor and Castlemartin Stud.
"It can be difficult when you put your neck on the line and buy a horse like this so I'm delighted because Complete showed he is something special," he said.
This result now puts even more distance between Ireland and the rest on the Nations Cup leaderboard as the march towards a return to the Samsung Super League gathers pace.
- Louise Parkes
