Ireland quartet named for Aga Khan Trophy tilt at the Dublin Horse Show

Mark McAuley and GRS Lady Amaro (ISH) have been selected on the Irish team in Friday’s Nations Cup

Michael Blake names strong quartet for Underwriting Exchange Nations Cup of Ireland

Ireland’s show jumpers are primed and ready for another bold showing in The Underwriting Exchange Nations Cup of Ireland for the Aga Khan Trophy at the Dublin Horse Show.

After what has been a massively successful season for Michael Blake’s team, a quartet of Darragh Kenny with VDL Cartello, Denis Lynch with Vistogrand, Mark McAuley with GRS Lady Amaro (ISH) and Cian O’Connor with Fancy De Kergane will enter the fray on Friday bidding to go one better than last year, when they finished runner-up to a perfect Swiss performance.

While the Paris Olympics didn’t quite go as Horse Sport Ireland High Performance Show Jumping Director Blake had planned, with Ireland finishing in seventh of 20 nations, he is relishing an opportunity to get back to Nations Cup action on home soil.

Blake said: “Obviously the Olympic Games are the pinnacle of the sport but there’s no place like home and we are really looking forward to getting out in front of the Irish fans – we are hopeful we can regain the Aga Khan after winning it in 2022.

“There is something extra special about Dublin and the Aga Khan trophy on the Friday of Horse Show week, jumping at the highest level in front of the best fans in the world, and I’m really looking forward to it.”

An Olympic year always means that changes must be made to line-ups but such is the strength and depth at Blake’s disposal he has yet another strong quartet of combinations to compete with.

He added: “It’s something that we’ve always looked to do, to ensure that our overall squad of riders jump regularly at five-star Nations Cup level, and that is evidenced by the number of riders who have jumped in a Charles Ancona green jacket this season.

Darragh Kenny of Ireland riding VDL Cartello during the jumping individual qualifier at the Equestrian Park during the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

“These four are very experienced combinations for the Aga Khan, they’ve all won Nations Cups for us, and I’m very happy with them and their horses ahead of Friday.

Blake added: “Darragh was on the Ocala Longines League of Nations winning team, and he deserves to take his chance on VDL Cartello – the horse is fresh and well and I’m hopeful of a couple of good rounds from them.

“Mark and GRS Lady Amaro have proven themselves time and again, they certainly know how to produce clear rounds in Nations Cups, while Denis has also been in good form with Vistogrand – they were on the exceptionally successful team in Aachen.

“Cian will anchor the team – there’s no more experienced rider than him in our ranks – Fancy De Kergane is a horse that has a really bright future, he has had fantastic results in Nations Cups this year. So we’ve got a nice quartet and we’re looking forward to the challenge.”

Eight nations will take part in the The Underwriting Exchange Nations Cup of Ireland for the Aga Khan Trophy, with Ireland facing Britain, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Belgium, United States, Sweden and France, and the action will be broadcast live on RTÉ from 1.45pm on Friday.

The Irish Show Jumping team is sponsored by The Underwriting Exchange

Charles Ancona – Official athlete clothing supplier to Horse Sport Ireland’s Senior Olympic programmes

Bucas – official supplier to Horse Sport Ireland’s High Performance programme

The Irish High Performance Show Jumping Programme is exclusively funded by Sport Ireland 

BREEDING:
GRS Lady Amaro (ISH) – 2013 mare by Amaretto Darco (BWP) out of Legal Lady (TB) by Over The River (TB). Breeder: Denis Hickey, Co. Wexford. Owner: S.N.C McAuley. Rider: Mark McAuley (IRL).