11/06/09 HORSE Sport Ireland Junior and Young Rider Show Jumping High Performance Coach Comdt. John Ledingham has announced the names of the squads who will compete for Ireland at the European Young Riders & Juniors Show Jumping Championships in Hoofdorf, Netherlands between July 1st and 5th. The squads are, in alphabetical order: JUNIOR RIDERS Nicholas Butler with Royal Lady Shane Connell with Carino Conor Drain with Loughview Lou Lou or Chekane Holly Gorden with Believe Me Robert Harrison with Team Harmony Chelto Z or Unlimited Lady YOUNG RIDERS David Blake with Baretto or Fabienne Alex Duffy with Tampa or Courtown Aideen Killeen with Du Noble Kelly O'Connor with Doc Holliday David Simpson with Cruise With Me

09/06/09 HORSE Sport Ireland's Show Jumping Team Manager Robert Splaine has announced his team for the next round of the Meydan series which will take place in Rotterdam on June 19th. The team in alphabetical order is: Cameron Hanley; Southwind VDL or SIEC Livello Jessica Kurten; Quibell Denis Lynch; Nabab's Son Capt. David O'Brien; Mo Chroi The team shows three changes from the one which represented Ireland in the last round in St. Gallen with Cameron Hanley, Jessica Kurten and Capt. David O'Brien replacing Cian O'Connor, Shane Sweetnam and Billy Twomey. Horse Sport Ireland Team Manager Robert Splaine said that the series was now entering the second phase after the first three shows. “The first three shows come very quickly and it was good that we could bring over the American-based riders and Shane Sweetnam, in particular, performed very solidly for the team, and I will certainly be keeping him in mind for later in the year now that I am sure he can perform at this level,” he said.

07/06/09 IRELAND'S Billy Twomey saw off some of the world's top riders this afternoon (Sunday) when he snatched victory in the Swiss Grand Prix with the only double clear round of the competition and collected 50,000 euro in prize money.

07/06/09 IRISH riders and horses made their mark upon Grand Prix events all over Europe this weekend. The most spectacular may have been Billy Twomey's win at St. Gallen, but at the two-star show in Herselt in Belgium, Derry-born Trevor Coyle also had a win in today's feature class with his own 'Bijou van de Vijheide'. In Vimeiro, Portugal, Jessica Kurten took a seventh place in the Grand Prix with 'Castle Forbes la Vie du Fraigneau', with David Simpson placing the Irish-bred 'Cruise With Me' just one spot behind her. Mayo's Cameron Hanley, meanwhile, had a ninth place in the four-star De Steeg Grand Prix on 'SIEC Livello'. In Dressage, Anna Merveldt took second in today's Grand Prix Special at Lipica, Slovenia, with 'Coryolano', and had a second place on the same horse in Friday's CDI-W Grand Prix. Pony and Junior Riders also added to the weekend's spoils, with Alex Buller and 'Kadia Mouche' one of five Irish top ten finishers in the Wierden Pony Grand Prix, and Robert Harrison taking an eighth place on 'Team Harmony Chelto Z' in the Junior Grand Prix at the same venue.

06/06/09 IRISH pony riders took equal second place in the Nations' Cup at Wierden in the Netherlands yesterday (Friday) tying with Sweden on a total of 16 faults.

05/06/09 THE IRISH Junior show jumping team, under the aegis of Horse Sport Ireland Junior and Young Rider Team Manager Commandant John Ledingham, finished sixth of ten nations at Wierden in the Netherlands this evening (Friday) on a total of 24 faults. Won by the Netherlands on a zero score, Wierden saw Ireland record only one clear round, from Robert Harrison on 'Team Harmony Chelto Z'. 1) NETHERLANDS 0 faults 2) NORWAY 8 faults =3) GERMANY 12 faults =3) SPAIN 12 faults 5) ITALY 16 faults 6) IRELAND 24 faults Christina Kelly; Nikons Lisalba Haka 4/8 Holly Gordon; Believe Me 4/4 Shane Connell; Carino 9/4 Robert Harrison; Team Harmony Chelto Z 0/8 Ten nations competed

05/06/09 IRELAND is drawn fifth of ten teams to jump in the Meydan Nations' Cup today (friday) at St. Gallen Switzerland. Live scoring will be available here from approximately 12.45 pm The Irish team lines out as: ROUND ONE Billy Twomey; Je t'Aime Flamenco 4 faults Shane Sweetnam; Amaretto d'Arco 0 faults Cian O'Connor; Complete Elim Denis Lynch; Lantinus 7 faults IRISH TEAM TOTAL AFTER ROUND ONE 11 faults --- ROUND TWO Billy Twomey; Je t'Aime Flamenco 1 fault Shane Sweetnam; Amaretto d'Arco 9 faults Cian O'Connor; Complete NS Denis Lynch; Lantinus 0 faults IRELAND TEAM TOTAL AFTER TWO ROUNDS 21 FAULTS

05/06/09 IRELAND had a disappointing eighth place in the Swiss Nations' Cup at St. Gallen today (Friday) despite recording two clear rounds and a single time fault from the four riders. The elimination of Cian O'Connor's gelding 'Complete' in the first round and the horse's subsequent withdrawal due to an over-reach injury left Ireland struggling with a team of just three, but they managed to qualify for the second round, where only the top eight teams participate, thanks to a clear round from Cork's Shane Sweetnam and 'Amaretto d'Arco' and a single error by Billy Twomey and 'Je t'Aime Flamenco'. With France and Sweden now out of the contest, Ireland faced the might of in-form USA, German and Belgian teams, with the USA and Germany finally having to settle the tie for first place in a jump-off that left the Americans victorious. Only Denis Lynch and 'Lantinus' managed a clear round for Ireland second time out, with Billy Twomey picking up a single time fault.

04/06/09 A TOTAL of 34 riders will carry the Irish colours in competitions throughout Europe this weekend. As well as the five-strong Nations' Cup squad lining out for the third Meydan Series clash at St. Gallen, Switzerland, Ireland also has a substantial representation in show jumping at the four-star shows in Vimeiro, Portugal and De Steeg in the Netherlands, as well as riders and horses in the two-star events in Herselt, Belgium and Piatra Neamt in Romania. Vimeiro sees Joanne Sloan-Allen, Dermott Lennon, Dave Quigley, Conor Swail, Alex Duffy, Jessica Kurten, David Simpson, Denis Coakley and Tom Davin all competing over the next four days, while De Steeg has Kevin Babington, Cameron Hanley and Thomas Ryan flying the flag for Ireland. Trevor Coyle will be in action at Herselt, while Gerry Flynn is the sole Irish rider in Romania. Pony, Junior and Young Riders take part in the Nations' Cup show at Wierden in the Netherlands, while Anna Merveldt will be seeking more wins in international dressage at Lipica in Slovenia with 'Coryolano' and 'Werucci'.

02/06/09 HORSE Sport Ireland Team Manager Robert Splaine has today (Tuesday) announced the Irish squad that will travel to St. Gallen in Switzerland for the third round of the elite Meydan Nations' Cup series on Friday June 5. The selection sees Cian O'Connor and 'Complete' rejoin Ireland's squad for the Swiss clash, and Capt. David O'Brien having his first 2009 call-up with the Irish-bred 'Mo Chroi'. The squad, from whom a team of four will be selected is, in alphabetical order: Denis Lynch; Lantinus Capt. David O'Brien; Mo Chroi Cian O'Connor; Complete Shane Sweetnam; Amaretto d'Arco or Rolette Billy Twomey; Je t'Aime Flamenco or KEC Maximum Joe