The team who will bid to regain Ireland’s crown in the Nations Cup for the Aga Khan Trophy has been finalised.
Michael Blake has chosen his quartet for Friday’s showpiece as the Irish hope to win back the trophy for the first time since 2022.
Blake’s team last won the home Nations Cup three years ago and have finished second in the previous two runnings of the famous competition. Horse Sport Ireland High Performance Show Jumping Manager Blake has gone with a mix of youth and experience on Friday.
Denis Lynch and Vistogrand will lead the team off as pathfinders, followed by Tom Wachman and Tabasco De Toxandria Z. Seamus Hughes Kennedy will jump third with ESI Rocky (ISH) and Cian O’Connor anchors the team on board Bentley De Sury.
Memorably, Lynch and Vistogrand formed part of the Irish team who won the first leg of the Longines League of Nations on a zero score in Abu Dhabi earlier this year, and performed brilliantly to help Ireland to a fourth-place finish at the European Championship in A Coruna recently.
The remaining three combinations jumped in La Baule in June as Ireland won the Nations Cup at the French venue, for the first time since 2011, with a flawless victory against some of the world’s best.
The Nations Cup of Ireland for the Aga Khan Trophy begins at 3pm on Friday, and Ireland face seven rivals, with Canada, Germany, Britain, Mexico, the Netherladns, Switzerlands and last year’s winners USA in opposition.
The action begins at 3pm on Friday, is live on RTE television, and we will keep you updated as the action progresses on our social media channels.