Lyle and Giraldo live Olympic dream

Star of the Co Down overcomes emotions to produce on biggest stage Abigail Lyle already felt like a winner by becoming an Olympian but the Banbridge athlete admitted that she had to win a battle with her emotions beforehand before combining with the equine love of her life, Giraldo for an excellent score of 69.441 in the Dressage Individual Grand Prix in Paris today. Lyle and the 13-year-old gelding known as Arty by a team that includes Lyle’s fiancé and Giraldo’s groom Mark McVicar, were almost foot perfect in the course of an excellent routine to finish sixth in Group B. And while that was not enough to progress to Sunday’s final, the diminutive Co Down rider was buoyant afterwards. “I had expectations and my expectations were incredibly low,” Lyle admitted. “I wanted a comfortable, happy horse to do himself proud and take him home to look after him for […]