TEAM Ireland Equestrian's show jumping manager Robert Splaine tonight (Wednesday) confirmed his Nations' Cup team for the fifth leg of the FEI Superleague at Aachen in Germany, which takes place on Thursday evening.

Ireland has been drawn eighth to jump and will line out as:
Denis Lynch/Lantinus
Dermott Lennon/Loughview Lou Lou (ISH)
Billy Twomey /Je t'Aime Flamenco
Cian O'Connor/Blue Loyd

Two of the team - Lynch and Twomey - have already been selected as Ireland's individual representatives at the London Olympics, but will be riding different horses over Aachen's gruelling two-round track.

Tonight Robert Splaine said: “We were quite good here last year, but we could do with a good score at this stage as we haven’t excelled ourselves so far in this year’s series."

Ireland last won at Aachen, considered to be the toughest test in the series, in 2010. The competition starts at 6.30pm Irish time on Thursday, and can be viewed live on www.feitv.org

The FEI Nations’ Cup Superleague comprises eight legs. Aachen will be followed by Falsterbo, Sweden on July 13, Hickstead, Gt. Britain on July 20, with the final competition in the 2012 series taking place at the Discover Ireland Dublin Horse Show on Friday August 17.

Irish riders have already tasted some success at Aachen in its first two days of competition. Billy Twomey and his own stallion Romanov placed fourth in Tuesday's 1m50 class against the clock, which was won by Brazil's Alvaro Alfonso de Miranda Neto with Bogeno.

In today's Winning Round competition, Dermott Lennon and the Irish Sport Horse Ace High Mike took seventh, with Switzerland's Janika Sprunger claiming the trophy on Komparse. Denis Lynch and Lantinus also placed seventh on Wednesday evening with Lantinus in the jump-off class, but saw Britain's Nick Skelton pick up the winner's prize on Big Star.
 

Robert Splaine