The eighth World Equestrian Games commenced on Wednesday in Tryon, North Carolina where there very mixed outcomes for the early Irish competitors.
The country's sole representative in dressage, Germany-based Judy Reynolds, was awarded a combined score of 71.957% from the seven judges for her Grand Prix test on Vancouver K, the 16-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by the rider's parents Joe and Kathleen.
Reynolds is currently lying 12th of 38 but a further 39 riders have to compete on Thursday before the Kildare native will know if she is to progress to the next round of the individual competition as one of the top 30.
Wicklow-born, Australia-based Bernard O’Sullivan made his WEG debut in Wednesday’s first round of the reining competition but failed to qualify for round two. The hosts won the first team gold at the Games.
There had to be a re-start to Wednesday's endurance race which was later cancelled by the officials "due to a potentially dangerously high combination of heat and humidity, and the conditions out on the endurance course following heavy rain in the afternoon." Ireland had fielded a team of four for this competition - Avril Bray, Hilda Donahue, Jane Moss and Tom MacGuinness.
