IRISH riders scored two top three finishes at opposite ends of the globe over the last 12 hours, with Shane Sweetnam claiming third place in Calgary, Canada last night, and Cian O'Connor a runner-up position in Falsterbo, Sweden this morning (Thursday).

THE five combinations who will represent Ireland in the Superleague Nations' Cup of Sweden in Falsterbo on Friday July 8th were named today.

MALAHIDE-based Conor Swail added to his recent run of Grand Prix successes today (Sunday) with a fourth place at the Grand Prix at Sandillon in France.

CORK'S Shane Sweetnam finished fifth in tonight's (Sunday) World Cup Qualifier Grand Prix at Spruce Meadows in western Canada, conceding victory to veteran American rider Rich Fellers and Harry and Mollie Chapman's celebrated Irish-bred Cruising stallion 'Flexible'.

IN A largely British-dominated class, it was Ireland's Capt. David O'Brien who scooped the 2,500 pounds winner's prize in the Accumulator competition at the three-star show at Wettenhall in England on Saturday.

THE notoriously challenging Hickstead Derby course this afternoon (Sunday) yielded only one first round zero score, removing the need for a jump-off, but Ireland finished with five riders in the top ten, with four Irish-bred horses also featured.

MALAHIDE-based Conor Swail was the only one of four Irish competitors in this afternoon's (Sunday) Grand Prix at Fontainebleau in France to make it through to the 11 horse jump-off, and one of only seven to go clear in the final round.

BILLY Twomey took a third place for Ireland at the five-star Global Champions Tour in Monte Carlo this evening (Saturday), riding his own 13 year-old stallion 'Romanov'. With ten through to the jump-off Cork-born Twomey was third last to go, and briefly held the lead with a faster round than the only other zero score at that stage, Sweden's Rolf-Goran Bengsston and 'Carusso Ls La Silla'.

IRELAND's Shane Breen racked up his second Hickstead victory this evening (Saturday) when he won the Speed Derby with Pisarenko Anatolyi's chestnut mare 'Magic Fox', adding a further 6,500 to his prize winnings at the four-star show.

IRELAND'S pony riders today (Friday) notched up a third consecutive Nations' Cup victory when fighting back from a third place in the first round at Hagen in Germany to take the trophy with three clear rounds.