Ireland fight back for fourth in Longines League of Nations, Ocala

Daniel Coyle and Incredible in action at the Longines League of Nations in Ocala, Florida as Ireland finished in fourth place

The Underwriting Exchange Irish Show Jumping team fought their way to a fourth-place finish in the Longines League of Nations second leg at the World Equestrian Centre overnight in Ocala, Florida.

It was a case of what might have been for Michael Blake and his team as Ireland were left to rue errors as a 13-fault finish meant they were just touched off the podium by less than a second, having finished level with Belgium.

Host nation USA landed the spoils on four faults after anchor rider McLain Ward jumped a clear round under pressure on Ilex to see off Germany in second by a solitary time penalty.

Having been in sixth position after round one, the Irish fought back and the result means they remain on top of the overall standings on 170 points, having won leg one in Abu Dhabi.

Blake, while happy with the eventual finish, cut a slightly frustrated figure as some crucial faults at crucial times meant they were forced to chase down those in front of them.

He said: “I’m proud of the lads, they fought out there and we thought briefly that we had secured a podium finish once again but it wasn’t to be. I felt that some of the poles that dropped were ones that ordinarily wouldn’t have, but that’s jumping.

“We set very high expectations of ourselves so obviously we’re disappointed but there were some real positives out there and plenty to build on. I thought Tom was brilliant – for a 20-year-old on a new horse to jump like that in that arena against that level of opposition was fantastic and they have a great future together.

“I’m also happy that we’re still on top of the league standings as we move towards the next leg in Rotterdam in June, and of course we will be in Nations Cup action before then so we’ll be hoping to get onto the podium in those cups.”

Darragh Kenny and Eddy Blue on their way to jumping a clear first round at the Longines League of Nations in Ocala

Blake sent Darragh Kenny and Eddy Blue into the arena as Ireland’s pathfinders, with Alan Wade’s course proving difficult in round one for a number of combinations.

The Offaly man and his World Cup winner from London had no such trouble, however, with Kenny expertly navigating Eddy Blue around the ring for a clear round and a perfect start for the Irish.

Kenny was understandably thrilled with his flawless round and he said: “Obviously as defending champions there’s pressure on us but to start like that was just great.

“I walked the course and thought it was very nice – Alan Wade is one of the best course designers in the world. The triple is giving people a bit more trouble than I think we all thought and the last line is actually quite difficult.

“Eddy Blue has jumped clear in the last nine five-star Grands Prix so to jump another clear here is brilliant – he’s flying at the moment.”

It wasn’t quite a clear round for Tom Wachman and Tabasco de Toxandria Z but it was an excellent one nonetheless, with just one pole down for the 20-year-old, the youngest rider in the competition.

It meant Ireland, at that point, remained on a zero score with Daniel Coyle and Cian O’Connor to jump.

Derry’s Coyle and his brilliant grey, Incredible, were next up and they were unlucky to also have one pole down as the vertical after the water, which had caused problems throughout, came down.

With Germany and hosts USA progressing to round two on zero scores, the pressure was on Cian O’Connor and Bentley De Sury to keep Ireland in touch.

Tom Wachman and Tabasco De Toxandria Z impressed at the Longines League of Nations in Ocala, Florida

The Meath man, like his compatriots, was also desperately unlucky to finish with four faults as Bentley de Sury dropped a solitary pole as Ireland went into the second round in third place on eight faults, trailing the hosts on zero and Germany on one.

Coyle and Incredible dropped out of the Irish team for round two and there was no room for error as it began, with clears all-round for every rider until Kenny returned with Eddy Blue.

It all looked so easy for the pair until they straightened up for the Liverpool jump when Eddy Blue just left a trailing leg and rubbed the front bar for four faults, which dropped Ireland back to sixth place overall on 12 faults.

Wachman then produced a stunning round of jumping with Tabasco De Toxandria Z, leaving all poles standing for a clear, although finishing 0.38 seconds over the allowed time meant the pair finished their round with one time penalty.

With just the anchor riders to jump, Ireland lay in sixth on 13 faults, nine behind the leaders with a podium finish the best realistic result, even if there was plenty of drama required for Ireland to do so.

That door was left ajar as France’s Olivier Robert and Iglesias D.V dropped a pole to move Ireland into fifth position, before Nicola Philippaerts and Katanga v/n Dingeshof did the same for Belgium as Ireland then lay in fourth.

Harry Charles and Casquo Blue were next as Great Britain sat just a solitary fault ahead of Blake’s team but they dropped a pole in the first element of the triple combination, leaving the door open for O’Connor and Bentley de Sury to secure the podium finish.

O’Connor was magnificent, delivering the clear round, and in a quick time. While it seemed as though third place was secure, the Irish just missed out on overall times, finishing less than a second behind Belgium, who took their place on the podium in third.

Cian O’Connor and Bentley de Sury jumped a clear second round for Ireland at the Longines League of Nations in Ocala, Florida