Banbridge's Susie Berry builds on 'surreal experience' of debut with eventing clear round on second day

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Banbridge’s Susie Berry finished the “surreal experience” of her Olympic Games debut with a score of 33.00 across the equestrian eventing’s dressage test – then followed that up on day two with clear-round progress.

On Saturday’s Olympics debut, Berry reflected: “Definitely feels like a debut – it’s a totally different feeling.

"Even the text messages from old schoolfriends and people I haven’t spoken to in 10 years.

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"The Olympics is just a totally different ball game and just an incredible thing to be a part of.”

Dromore's Susie Berry will be representing Team Ireland in Paris across equestrian eventing. (Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile)Dromore's Susie Berry will be representing Team Ireland in Paris across equestrian eventing. (Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile)
Dromore's Susie Berry will be representing Team Ireland in Paris across equestrian eventing. (Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile)

After her first Paris day on board Wellfields Lincoln, Berry said: “It’s a surreal experience but I’m thrilled with him – he can be a spooky horse but he felt quite alert today.

"It was like he knew there was something different about today.

"His trot work felt beautiful in there and maybe in his canter he felt a little tense through his back so we maybe lost a few moves that would ordinarily come naturally to him.

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“It’s his first time being in an atmosphere like that so I’m very happy with him. It’s very dense in there, very atmospheric, and the grandstands are so tall that the horses seem to be looking up a lot, but it’s an incredible arena."

The 28-year-old posted a clear round on Sunday during the eventing’s cross-country section, with 15.2 time penalties for a total tally to date of 48.2.

“Lincoln was brilliant, he kept answering every question, jumped great and was full of running at the end,” said Berry. “I had to do a long route at the end, which definitely wasn’t plan A, but he landed a little more left then I needed at the first log.

"I probably could have done the time - if I was doing it for myself - but as a team, you just need everyone to get home.

"We're so competitive by nature, and I probably could have just been a bit quicker but it was a matter of getting around and putting a clear in.”

Ireland sit overall on 121.10 in eighth place.

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