LONDON Olympia's Christmas show is one of the highlights of this weekend's jumping action for Irish riders. For as well as attractions like the Ukrainian Cossacks, the British Household Cavalry and the Shetland Pony Grand Prix, the historic English venue also hosts the seventh leg of the Rolex FEI World Cup series, which finishes in April of next year.

Cork's Billy Twomey, currently highest-ranked of the Irish in the World Cup standings at equal 12th, is joined at Olympia from today (Thursday) by Meath's Cian O'Connor, who won last year's Olympia five star Grand Prix, the first Irish rider to do so since Eddie Macken took the trophy in 1987.

The Olympia World Cup class takes place on Sunday afternoon, and the Grand Prix on Monday night.

At La Coruna's five star show in Spain, meanwhile, Jessica Kurten flies the Irish flag with three horses, while Denis Lynch and Dermott Lennon appear at Frankfurt in Germany, which is a four star event.
 

Billy Twomey and Cian O'Connor