Ireland’s Olympic horses pass Friday inspection

All four horses on the Irish Olympic evening team have passed Friday’s first horse inspection ahead of the start of competition at Deodoro Horse Park in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday.

Horse Sport Ireland's team manager, Nick Turner, has confirmed the starting order for the dressage phase which is spread over two days, beginning at 2pm Irish time on Saturday and continuing at the same time on Sunday. The line-out is Padraig McCarthy (Simon Porloe), Clare Abbott (Europrince), Jonty Evans (Cooley Rorke's Drift) and Mark Kyle (Jemilla).

New Zealand's Jock Paget had to trot his horse, Clifton Lush, up twice before the 17-year-old thoroughbred was accepted by the ground jury of the USA's Marilyn Payne (president), New Zealand's Andrew Bennie and Sandy Phillips of Great Britain. Having been sent to the holding box, the Spanish horse Hito CP, ridden by Albert Hermoso Farras, was accepted.