EQUESTRIAN:Four Irish riders made the international winner's enclosure over the weekend, but a Co Down teenager made the biggest mark when finishing eighth in the individual final at the European pony show jumping championships in Germany yesterday.
Emily Turkington, 13-year-old daughter of former international rider Neil Turkington and his wife Kerry, was a member of Ireland's bronze medal team at the championships in Freudenberg on Friday with a fence down in each round.
She repeated that form again yesterday with the aptly named Future Interest to finish in eighth place on 19 faults, four fences off the gold and just three off silver.
Team manager Tom Slattery said. "She's very cool and very calculating. She's just incredible for her age."
All four members of Slattery's bronze medal team will still be eligible for next year's championships and Paddy McDonagh, left on the subs bench on Friday, won yesterday's consolation speed class. Slattery's expecting big things of them all.
After the disappointing performance in Friday's Swedish Nations Cup in Falsterbo Ireland's senior riders bounced back. Captain Shane Carey came back for his second speed win with Cashla Bay on Saturday morning and then slotted Killossery into fourth in the Derby behind Cian O'Connor and the eight-year-old Markopoulo.
Denis Lynch then added Saturday night's six-bar to the Irish tally, but rain forced the organisers to abandon midway through yesterday's action. Conor Swail was on song in Friday night's class at the Italian fixture in San Patrignano, where he claimed the honours with Nepomuk.
