Cian O'Connor

Cian O'Connor (born 12 November 1979) is an Irish equestrian competing in show jumping. He has competed at four Olympic Games, four World Championships and six European Championships.

O'Connor was stripped of the gold medal at the 2004 Olympics when his horse was found to have a banned substance in its system. O'Connor returned to the Olympics in 2012, receiving the bronze medal in the individual showjumping event. At the 2021 Tokyo Summer Olympics, O'Connor withdrew his mount Kilkenny after the horse suffered a nosebleed during their round.<ref name=":2">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Cian was a member of the Irish Teams that won the Aga Khan Trophy at the Dublin Horse show in 2004, 2012, 2015 and 2022.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

O’Connor was also a member of the winning Irish team at the European Show Jumping Championships in 2017, where he placed third in the individual competition.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

As part of the Irish World Championships team in Herning 2022, O'Connor qualified for the Paris Olympic Games in 2024.Template:Citation needed

Major results

Year	Place	Horse	Event	Rating	Show	Location
2008	4th	Rancorrado	Grand Prix	CSIO5*	Real Club De Polo Barcelona	Barcelona, Spain<ref name=":0" />
2008	1st	Rancorrado	Grand Prix	CSI4*	Chateau De Chantilly	Chantilly, France<ref name=":0" />
2009	1st	Rancorrado	Grand Prix	CSI5* WC	Olympia London Horse Show	London, United Kingdom<ref name=":0" />
2009	2nd	Rancorrado	World Cup	CSI5* WC	Olympia London Horse Show	London, United Kingdom<ref name=":0" />
2009	3rd	Rancorrado	Senior Nations Cup	CSIO5*	All English Show Grounds Hickstead	Hickstead, United Kingdom<ref name=":0" />
2009	3rd	Rancorrado	World Cup	CSI5* WC	Partner Pferd Leipzig	Leipzig, Germany<ref name=":0" />
2010	2nd	K Club Lady	Senior Nations Cup	CSIO5*	RDS Arena	Dublin, Ireland<ref name=":0" />
2010	2nd	K Club Lady	Grand Prix	CSIO5*	CSIO St Gallen	St Gallen, Switzerland<ref name=":0" />
2010	3rd	K Club Lady	Senior Nations Cup	CSIO5*	Piazza Di Sienna	Rome, Italy<ref name=":0" />
2010	1st	Rancorrado	Grand Prix	CSI4*	Longines CHI Classics Basel	Basel, Switzerland<ref name=":0" />
2011	1st	Larkhill Cruiser	Senior Nations Cup	CSIO5*	La Baule Horse Show	La Baule, France<ref name=":0" />
2011	2nd	Larkhill Cruiser	World Cup	CSIO4* WC	Al Ain Equestrian Centre	Abu Dhabi, UAE<ref name=":0" />
2012	1st	Blue Lloyd 12	Senior Nations Cup	CSIO5*	RDS Arena	Dublin, Ireland<ref name=":0" />
2012	3rd	Blue Lloyd 12	Grand Prix	CSIO5*	RDS Arena	Dublin, Ireland<ref name=":0" />
2012	Bronze Medal	Blue Lloyd 12	Olympic Games London Individual Final	Olympic Games	Summer Olympic Games London	London, United Kingdom<ref name=":0" />
2012	2nd	Blue Lloyd 12	Senior Nations Cup	CSIO4*	Hubside Jumping Valence	Valence, France<ref name=":0" />
2013	1st	Blue Lloyd 12	Grand Prix	CSIO5*	RDS Arena	Dublin, Ireland<ref name=":0" />
2013	3rd	Blue Lloyd 12	Senior Nations Cup	CSIO5*	RDS Arena	Dublin, Ireland<ref name=":0" />
2016	3rd	Good Luck	World Cup	CSI5* WC	Stuttgart German Masters	Stuttgart, Germany<ref name=":0" />
2016	5th	Good Luck	Grand Prix	CSIO5*	Los Angeles Horse Show	Los Angeles, USA<ref name=":0" />
2016	4th	Good Luck	Grand Prix	CSIO5*	RDS Arena	Dublin, Ireland<ref name=":0" />
2016	1st	Good Luck	Senior Nations Cup	CSIO5*	RDS Arena	Dublin, Ireland<ref name=":0" />
2017	Bronze Medal	Good Luck	European Championship Individual Final	EUCH	Gothenburg Horse Show	Gothenburg, Sweden<ref name=":0" />
2017	Gold Medal	Good Luck	European Championship Team Final	EUCH	Gothenburg Horse Show	Gothenburg, Sweden<ref name=":0" />
2017	1st	Good Luck	Grand Prix	CSIO5*	Hipodrom Sopot	Sopot, Poland<ref name=":0" />
2018	Bronze Medal	Good Luck	World Equestrian Championships Team Final	CSI5*	Tryon Equestrian Centre	Tryon, USA<ref name=":0" />
2019	3rd	PSG Final	Global Champions League Final	CSI5*	O2 Arena PraguePlayoffs	Prague, Czech Republic<ref name=":0" />
2019	1st	PSG Final	Grand Prix	CSI4*	X-Bionic Sphere	Samorin, Slovakia<ref name=":0" />
2019	1st	PSG Final	Senior Nations Cup Final	CSIO5*	Real Club De Polo	Barcelona, Spain<ref name=":0" />
2019	2nd	PSG Final	Senior Nations Cup	CSIO5*	Piazza Di Sienna	Rome, Italy<ref name=":0" />
2021	7th	Kilkenny	Olympic Games Tokyo Individual Final	Olympic Games	Summer Olympic Games Tokyo	Tokyo, Japan<ref name=":0" />
2021	4th	Kilkenny	Grand Prix	CSI4*	Tops International Arena	Valkenswaard, The Netherlands<ref name=":0" />
2021	3rd	Kilkenny	Grand Prix	CSI5*	Wellington Equestrian Festival	Wellington, USA<ref name=":0" />
2022	1st	Taj Mahal	Grand Prix	CSI3*	Knokke Hippique	Knokke, Belgium<ref name=":0" />
2022	4th	C Vier 2	World Equestrian Championships Team Final	CSIO5*	Herning Rideklub	Herning, Denmark<ref name=":0" />
2022	1st	Kilkenny	Senior Nations Cup	CSIO5*	RDS Arena	Dublin, Ireland<ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2022	1st	Kilkenny	Grand Prix	CSI3*	Sunshine Tour Montenmedio	Vejer de la Frontera, Spain

2004 Summer Olympics

Template:Further Riding Waterford Crystal, O'Connor placed first in the individual jumping competition, earning Ireland's only gold medal. However, on 8 October 2004, it emerged that Waterford Crystal had tested positive for a prohibited substance.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> The Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) ruled that O'Connor must be stripped of his medal and he also received a three-month ban from competition.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> FEI found that he did not deliberately attempt to affect the performance of the horse.Template:Citation needed The individual showjumping gold medal went to Brazilian Rodrigo Pessoa and the Irish team's seventh place was inherited by the Italians.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

2012 Summer Olympics

Template:FurtherO'Connor won the bronze medal in London with his horse Blue Loyd 12 in individual jumping. He lost to Gerco Schröder of the Netherlands in a Silver medal jump-off.<ref>Live Olympics coverage, NBC.</ref>

2020 Summer Olympics

O'Connor rode to seventh place with Kilkenny at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics (celebrated in 2021),<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> but withdrew after his horse suffered a nosebleed during their round. Blood became visible from the horse's nostrils three-quarters into their jumping round, and due to the horse's grey colouring, it was visible to spectators on the event's live stream. The appearance of blood from the nostrils was not in violation of the FEI's blood rule, however, out of an abundance of caution, O'Connor withdrew from the remaining team competition.<ref name=":2" />

Horses

• Kilkenny: (1 May 2012) Gelding, Grey. Irish Sport Horse (Cardento 933 x Guidam)
• Taj Mahal:<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref> (11 May 2013) Stallion, Bay. Zangersheide (Emerald Van'T Ruytershof x Quannan R)

• C Vier 2':<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref> (22 May 2008) Gelding, Bay. Holsteiner (Cardento 933 x Concorde)

• Good Luck:<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref> (15 May 2006) Stallion, Bay. Belgian Warmblood (Canturo x Furioso II)

• Blue Lloyd 12:<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref> (11 February 2000) Gelding, Bay. Oldenburger (Landor S x Hadj A X)

• Splendor:<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref> (31 May 1999) Gelding, Chestnut. Dutch Warmblood (Lester x Marinier)

• K Club Lady:<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref> (8 March 1999) Mare, Bay. Holsteiner (Calido x Landgraf I)

• Arabella:<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref> (5 May 2003) Mare, Bay. Irish Sport Horse (Heartbreaker x Cavalier Royale)

• Larkhill Cruiser: (20 March 2001) Gelding, Chestnut. Irish Sport Horse (Cruising x Crosstown Dancer)
• Rancorrado:<ref name=":1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref> (6 April 1998) Gelding, Bay. Dutch Warmblood (Gran Corrado x Hamlet). Horse

• Echo Beach<ref name=":1" />: (23 May 2007) Stallion, Bay. Anglo European (Unbelievable Darco x Goodtimes)
• Waterford Crystal<ref name=":1" />: (6 March 1991) Gelding, Bay. Holsteiner (Landgraf I x Corvado)

External links

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