TIPPERARY'S Denis Lynch added more ribbons to the Irish tally when finishing second today (Saturday) in the jump-off class at Leipzig's World Cup show in Germany, and later sharing first place in the Six Bar competition. He also took a fifth in the speed class.

In the jump-off competition Lynch, piloting Thomas Straumann's gelding Abbervail van het Dingeshof, was one of eight combinations to make the cut for the final round from a starting field of 49, but ended up just over a second off the pace of Dutch winner Maikel van der Vleuten and Vdl Groep Zandorra. The Irish rider, who currently lies seventh in the Rolex World rankings, won 4,800 euro, while van der Vleuten took home a car.

In the speed class Lynch stopped the clock at 56.96 seconds with Twister S , picking up 2,000 euro, with France's Patrice Delaveau and Baritchou HDC collecting the first prize of a car in a finishing time of 55.74 seconds.

The 35 year-old Irishman then went on to tie for first place in the last competition of the night, the Six Bar, riding Thomas Straumann's Upsilon d'Ocquier. He was one of four to reach the fourth round, where all finalists faulted once, but still took 4575 euro in prize money.

On Friday night, Cork-born Billy Twomey and Sue Davies's mare Tinka's Serenade nailed down an advantageous starting position in Sunday's Rolex World Cup competition when finishing second to world number one rider Rolf-Goran Bengtsson in the speed qualifier.

On Thursday, Derry's Trevor Coyle was the outright winner of the feature class aboard Alexander Lebon's French mare Jubilee d'Ouilly.

Leipzig's World Cup Grand Prix takes place on Sunday afternoon, with 150,000 euro in total prize money on offer, as well as vital World Cup ranking points.

In Florida, meanwhile, Ireland's James Dwyer chalked up his second Grade IV victory in Para Dressage this evening with his own gelding Orlando at the three-star show in Wellington.
 

Denis Lynch