CASTLEPOLLARD, the former Army show jumper at the centre of a major controversy over Olympic qualification, made an inauspicious start to his new eventing career when falling in the water on his debut in Wexford yesterday.
The 13-year-old gelding, which had notched up the third part of a consecutive - and record - victory in the Hickstead Derby for Captain John last year, has been the heated correspondence Irish Field following the decision to switch him to horse trials in a bid to earn a place for Captain Gerry Flynn on the Olympic three-day event squad.
Flynn's commanding officer Commandant Ronnie MacMahon - who is also a member of the selection committee - is aiming the horse at the French three-star international at Saumur in April, a monumental step up from yesterday's novice one-day fixture at Boro Hill outside Clonroche, but an essential element in securing a ticket for Atlanta.
The chestnut is also scheduled to take in three British events in the build-up to Saumur, but opposition centres around the Army's ability to use loopholes in the qualifying procedure that are usually unavailable to civilian competitors.
International rules state that horses must graduate through the one and two-star levels before being allowed to compete in a three-star, although special permission can be granted for a horse to compete out of his grade if the selectors see fit and can secure the agreement of the national federation staging the event (in this case the French federation). Normally, only horses with a minimum of 40 horse trials points and successful completion of a two-star event can upgrade to three-star.
Castlepollard was unhurt in yesterday's fall, but the chestnut nearly turned over again three fences later when dropping a leg into a triple bar. He went on to complete with the addition of 34 time faults and 60 penalties for the fall. Not surprisingly for a former international show jumper, Castlepollard cleared all the coloured poles without difficulty, but there is obviously a need for some serious homework if the horse is to put in a realistic bid for a place on the team for Atlanta.
Eddie Macken and the mare Miss FAN, winners of the opening round in last year's Volvo World Cup final, have booked their ticket for this year's finale in Geneva over Easter after finishing fourth in the German round at Dortmund on Saturday. The Irish pair finished over two and a half seconds adrift of Austria ace Hugo Simon, winner of the inaugural cup final in 1979.
Macken, with the addition of 13 points is now on a total of 44 and is lying ninth in the Western European League with three rounds to go.
European champion Peter Charles did however gain some compensation when finishing second in yesterday's grand prix with his Olympic hopeful, Benetton.
