Ireland's show jumping team secure Olympic qualification

Ireland's show jumping team has officially qualified for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. The team secured one of seven available quota places by finishing seventh in the team final at the FEI World Championships held in Aachen. This achievement marks a significant milestone for Irish equestrian sport.

The qualification occurred under challenging circumstances for the Irish team. Darragh Kenny's horse, Eddy Blue, was withdrawn before the final round. This meant every remaining Irish rider's performance counted towards the final team total, as they could not utilize a discard score. Despite this, Cian O'Connor, Bertram Allen, and Shane Sweetnam delivered performances that, while incurring faults, were sufficient to secure the seventh-place finish.

Germany dominated the World Championships, claiming the team gold medal on home soil. Belgium secured the silver medal, and Great Britain earned the bronze. Individually, Shane Sweetnam and his horse CFS James Kann Cruz were the best-performing Irish duo, finishing 17th overall and carrying Irish hopes into the individual World Championship final.