Chloe Fagan pictured at the Eventing Junior and Young Rider team announcement at the National Horse Sport Arena in Dublin. Photo: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

Ireland eventing team ‘held it together for silver’ says Fagan

Published: Thu 28 Sep 2023, 1:19 PM

Last updated: Thu 28 Sep 2023, 1:23 PM

Chloe Fagan was a member of the Irish team that gave a stellar performance and took silver in the FEI Young Rider European Eventing Championship in Montelibretti, Italy (September 14-17).

The Irish team got off to a strong start after the opening dressage phase, sitting in second place. The Saturday’s cross country proved testing, but Ireland rose to the challenge, moving into the top spot.

Chloe also moved from individual silver after dressage to individual gold post cross-country. Unfortunately, a small injury to her horse, Comte Ligniere Z, meant she could not compete in the final phase.

Following Chloe’s withdrawal, Ireland moved into team bronze, behind Germany and home nation Italy. With very small margins between the top three teams, it was still all to play for.

Ireland’s success in the show jumping arena saw them move up a place on the podium to claim the team silver medal.

Speaking to the Westmeath Examiner, Chloe recounted how “devastating” it was when her horse got injured in the cross-country event and they had to withdraw.

However, she took comfort from the fact that the team “held it together” and brought home silver and that she did well in the dressage, taking silver, and in the cross-country where she “went inside the time and clear” to put Ireland into “double gold”.

It was a great week, a lovely supportive crew and lots of good weather, Chloe said.

Being a member of the Fagan family of Mullingar Equestrian Centre, Chloe and her twin sister, Robyn, a keen showjumper, have been immersed in all things equine from an early age, encouraged and supported by their parents Mark and Deryn Fagan from Deravarra Equine Clinic.

The twins have just turned 21 and Chloe, who is in the third year of her Business and French degree course in DCU, is now off to France for her Erasmus year to study in Toulouse. “The horses will get a break and, hopefully, we will go on to bigger and better things next year,” she said.

Ted O’Leary from Killucan was also competing for the Irish team in the junior category. He partnered Master Swatch to a 37.9 dressage, a flawless cross country round and added only four penalties in the show jumping phase to finish 42nd.