Asian games comes to Ballindenisk – Toshi first come on Kazu
Posted by Jackie Potts Equestrian Services on Friday, April 19, 2019
Have you ever thought that eventing is maybe just lacking a little bit of, well, insanity? That perhaps it’s all a bit too sane and sedate, like the wheels have fallen off the banter bus a wee bit? Of course you haven’t, but just in case, enter eventing in Ireland. As if galloping pell-mell over colossal timber fences and drinking one’s bodyweight in whiskey isn’t enough, the delightfully bonkers folk behind Ballindenisk International Horse Trials have added an extra phase to proceedings. Welcome to the annual donkey race, in which top riders pair up with a different sort of four-legged friend to battle it out for top honours.
Super-groom Jackie Potts shared this action-packed, nail-biting clip of today’s race – we talk an awful lot about how formidable the Japanese eventing team are becoming, and Toshiyuki Tanaka dealt the final blow by cruising to an easy win aboard his donkey. He was followed by Ryuzo Kitajima in second place and Chinese Olympian Alex Hua Tian, who appeared to get lost and then employed some very suspect tactics, romped home in third. Unfortunately, Kazuma Tomoto couldn’t quite find the accelerator pedal on his donkey, and he meandered home in good spirits, but a very definitive last place. Better luck next time, Kazu.
