Padraig McCarthy will be first into Olympic action for Ireland’s eventing team tomorrow with his horse Simon Porloe, after being nominated by manager Nick Turner to kick off the Irish challenge.

The Irish rider is third in the starting order for the dressage phase after Canada’s Jessica Phoenix (A Little Romance) and French rider Nicolas Astier (Piaf De B’Neville).

The start time for McCarthy is 2.16pm (Irish time). Clare Abbott and Euro Prince are 19th in the starting order and will go at 5.46pm.

It will be day two of dressage on Sunday when Jonty Evans with Cooley Rorkes Drift (38th at 2.32pm) and Mark Kyle on Jemilla (55th at 6.10pm) enter the arena.

Sixty-five combinations are scheduled to contest the event. Highly fancied German rider Michael Jung is 36th in the running order with Sam and will compete on Sunday.

The cross-country phase will be contested on Monday, and following a second horse inspection on Tuesday, the show jumping stage will commence, with team medals being decided after the first session. Later on Tuesday the top twenty-five will go forward to the individual final.

All horses passed the first inspection today at Deodoro. Josh Tobin.