Ireland drawn third as Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup Final gets underway in Barcelona

  • 29 September 2022, 10:15

Michael Blake’s Irish Show Jumping team have been drawn third to jump in today’s opening competition at the 2022 Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup Final in Barcelona, Spain.

The Chefs d’Equipe at the draw for the order-of-go at the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ 2022 Final at the Real Club de Polo in Barcelona, Spain this evening. (FEI/Nacho Olano)

Having comfortably booked their place in the final with a memorable victory in their home Nations Cup for the Aga Khan Trophy at the Dublin Horse Show in August, Ireland will be hoping to add to an already impressive season of results. A total of 14 teams from around the globe start off in today’s first round, with eight places on offer in Sunday’s grand final while the remaining six teams will go into Saturday’s Challenge Cup.

Ireland, sponsored by The Underwriting Exchange, will line-out as follows:
Galway’s Andrew Bourns with Sea Topblue (ISH) – owned by Andrew Bourns & QBS Equestrian LLC
Tipperary’s Trevor Breen with Highland President – owned by Heather Black
Kilkenny’s Jack Ryan with BBS McGregor (ISH) – owned by Marguerite Ryan
Louth’s Mark McAuley with Jasco VD Bisschop – owned by SNC McAuley

Ireland have an impressive record at the Barcelona showpiece, having taken victory in 2019 along with as runners-up finishes in 2017 and in 2021.

Speaking ahead of the final, team manager Michael Blake said:

“We love Barcelona and we are reasonably lucky here normally so we hope we will be lucky, and good, this year! We have a slightly less experienced team, they have experience but have never been to this Final before. We start with Andrew Bourns who has been on a few winning teams this year, then Trevor Breen followed by Jack Ryan and Mark McAuley. We are looking forward to good sport and wish everyone else the best of luck, and thank you to the show organisers here in Barcelona for having us!”

Brazil will be the first team into the arena when the competition gets underway at 1pm Irish time, followed by Canada; Ireland, Spain, Norway, France, Mexico, Switzerland, Great Britain, Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands, Sweden and Argentina.

CSIO Barcelona one of the oldest horse shows in the world with a history dating all the way back to 1897, and this year it celebrates its 125th anniversary with the staging of the Longines Final for the ninth consecutive time at the hugely popular Real Club de Polo.

Live coverage from 1pm on FEITV.

BREEDING

Sea Topblue (ISH) – 2011 gelding by Chacco Blue (MECKL) out of Sea Top Lady (ISH) by Lux Z (HANN). Breeders: James & John Meade, Co. Clare. Owner: Andrew Bourns & QBS Equestrian. Rider: Andrew Bourns (IRL).

BBS McGregor (ISH) – 2012 gelding by Cardento (HOLST) out of Random Chance (ISH) by Mark Twain (TB) bred and owned by Marguerite Ryan ridden by Jack Ryan.

 

The Irish Show Jumping team is sponsored by The Underwriting Exchange

Charles Ancona – Official athlete clothing supplier to HSI’s Senior Olympic programmes

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