FIVE stallions made it through to the 12 horse jump-off at Monte Carlo's five-star show this afternoon (Saturday), and three of them claimed the top places, with Cork's Billy Twomey and 'Tackeray' finishing third.

TWENTY-six year old Damien Griffin was best of the Irish at Hickstead's Derby Meeting in England this afternoon (Saturday) when finishing as runner-up in the Speed Derby with Margaret Griffin's Diamond Clover gelding ' Lissyegan Clover Diamond'.

TWO hundredths of a second separated Ireland's Jessica Kurten from the 95,000 euro first prize in the Global Champions Tour Grand Prix at Monte Carlo tonight (Saturday). After two challenging clear rounds, the 40 year-old Antrim-born rider was second last to go in the six-horse jump-off.

HORSE Sport Ireland has confirmed Children on Horses and Junior teams as well as three Young Riders who will compete as individuals at the European championships which will take place in Haras de Jardy, France from 13-18 July, 2010.

TEAM Ireland Equestrian's Eventing High Performance Manager Ginny Elliott has named a squad of six horse and rider combinations from which she will select five to travel to the Alltech World Equestrian Games in Kentucky from September 30th to October 3rd.

DAVE Quigley was best of the Irish on the opening day (Thursday) of the Derby Meeting at Hickstead in England with a fourth place in the big jump-off class. Shane Breen and the Irish-bred 'Dorada' placed sixth, as fastest of the first round time-faulters.

TIPPERARY'S Denis Lynch took Ireland's first winner's trophy of the weekend at the five-star show in Monte Carlo tonight (Thursday), with Cork's Billy Twomey finishing just behind him in joint second.

A LARGELY rookie Irish team swept all before them at the Finnish Nations Cup in Ypaja this afternoon (Sunday) to claim the trophy on an aggregate score of just five faults over two rounds.
FOR VIDEO OF SECOND ROUND NATIONS CUP click HERE

KILDARE-born Niall Talbot took second place this evening (Sunday) at the San Remo Grand Prix in Italy with the chestnut gelding 'Nicos de la Cense'. The 39 year-old Swiss-based rider was one of ten through to the second round, and although finishing a comfortable six seconds clear of third-placed Belgian Nick Vrins, Talbot was unable to catch Italian ace Natale Chiaudani.

TWENTY-nine year-old Irish rider Shane Sweetnam took second place in this afternoon's (Saturday) Grand Prix Qualifier at Pforzheim's three-star show in Germany. The Cork-born rider, who is normally based in Florida, piloted the Spy Coast Farm-owned stallion 'Amaretto d'Arco'.