Ireland fourth in St Gallen, Pony riders victorious

Denis Lynch and the brilliant Vistogrand (Sportfot)

Great podium finish too in stacked Juniors Nations Cup

This is a big Nations Cup week for Team Ireland from the highest five-star level to the pony riders and it was the stars of the future that proved themselves the princes of now by claiming victory in Zuidwolde yesterday.

That performance was followed by the Junior squad finishing third at the Dutch venue this morning, before the Underwriting Exchange Irish Show Jumping team secured fourth at the prestigious St Gallen show.

It was so close to a podium finish but the Green Jackets just missed out on third to the hosts on time, with the two teams level on 12 faults.

The very strong Swiss squad included Mila, who contributed to Ireland’s European Championship silver medal performance when ridden by Eoin McMahon two years ago before being sold in January. She posted a double clear for Nadja Peter-Steiner.

Michael Blake selected an excellent unit to take on a power-packed field in Switzerland.

It was the same side that delivered victory in the first leg of the Longines League Of Nations in Abu Dhabi, and not for the first time in their careers, it was Denis Lynch, with Vistogrand (above pic), and Tipperary compatriot, Trevor Breen with Highland President that buttressed the Irish effort with two outstanding double clears over the 15 jumping efforts and almost half-kilometre of terrain.

Lynch was the trailblazer on his the 12-year-old he owns in partnership with the Tipperary’s Finest group and they provided a dream start with a smooth performance where the effort seemed to be minimal but the results were optimal.

That was the fourth of nine clears at that juncture, with Jos Verlooy (BEL), Marcus Ehning (GER) and Nadja Peter Steiner (SUI) going clear.

Breen continued his stunning return from serious injury and he was in complete sync with the 13-year-old owned by Heather Black, as they navigated a course that caused plenty of problems without a moment’s worry.

Carlow man, Jason Foley was next up for the Irish on 13-year-old Chedington Hazy Toulana, owned by Chedington Equestrian and Chris Burton, but they had the second fence down and then a parallel late on, while also incurring a time fault to finish with nine.

It looked like this wouldn’t matter, when Kilkenny-based Kildare native, Mikey Pender, riding the Marion Hughes-bred and Bravo Hughes-owned HHS Los Angeles (ISH) appeared to be bound for a clear that would have left Ireland on zero, but approaching the penultimate double, he had both elements down, meaning Ireland went into the second round on eight faults, just behind the Swiss team of Peter-Steiner, Steve Guerdat, Edouard Schmitz and Martin Fuchs, in fourth.

Time was all that separated them and with the teams returning the same aggregate tally for the second round, that was how it remained.

After Lynch and Breen worked their heroics, Foley improved markedly with the first part of the aforementioned double his only error, although he posted a very quick time.

With Pender unable to provide the clear that would have bagged the bronze position, he retired.

Overall, it was a good performance in a class won by the brilliant German team of Marcus Ehning, Sophie Hinners, Hans-Dieter Dreher and Richard Vogel, that registered zero faults, with Belgium (Jos Verlooy, Thibeau Spits, Nathan Budd and Emilie Conter) second on four.

“You must take the positives from and we were unlucky not to be on the podium,” said Blake. “Usually when you have four clear rounds, you will manage that.

“Denis and Trevor were great and both those horses have jumped so well for us. To get two double clears, they deserved a podium finish and one fence down less would have had us there. I’m very proud of all the lads and very grateful to them, as well as to the horses’ owners.”

Meanwhile, a flawless Team Ireland came out on top in the seven-strong Nations Cup for pony riders in Zuidwolde yesterday (Thursday).

Denis Flannelly’s quartet of Charlie Flynn, Cian McMunn, Ronan Gilvarry and Ruben Foley (below with Flannelly and athlete liaison Liz Brennan) gave an exhibition of riding in The Netherlands, while their ponies, HK Zena (ISH), Exodus Angies Rose, Glor Tire Cruise (ISH) and Wineport QJunior (ISH) were foot perfect.

Flynn, McMunn and Foley all registered double clear rounds. So clean were the Irish that Gilvarry’s one time fault in round one and one jumping error in round two were able to be discarded.

That type of return was just too much for the opposition to deal with. Britain also returned blemish free from the second round but after taking five from the opener, that could only see them vault beyond Germany, who posted two tallies of four, into second.

This triumph continues Flannelly’s excellent start as chef d’equipe and lead consultant of the youth show jumping programme, in conjunction with Brennan, as the pony riders also delivered the goods at Sentower Park last month.

Meanwhile, in this morning’s Juniors Nations Cup, Ireland secured a podium slot when battling hard for third (below pic).

Clear rounds by Abbie Oakey, with Moningo-D van’t Heyveld, and Alice Wachman, with Killarney, placed them right in contention with just four faults in a very competitive competition that saw just once fence separate the top six.

The British did not give anyone else a chance by replicating the feat of the Irish pony riders in finishing on zero faults, while Sweden had one error to finish second with four.

For Ireland, Oakey made it a brilliant double clear and anchor, Lauren Adams showed tremendous character to bounce back from elimination in the first round to ensure third with a pressure-laden clear round on Quina Dw.

Paddy Reape was solidity personified with two rounds of four on his Irish Sport Horse Mr Rocky Blue and once more, the high quality of the fare was showcased by the fact that Wachman’s one jumping mistake was able to be the discard.

In individual competition, McMunn (below) was sixth in the junior class today, while Foley won the pony class and Conrad Sweeney was ninth.