Irish Show Jumping team finish sixth in hugely competitive Spanish Nations Cup

Michael Blake’s Irish Show Jumping team have finished sixth of 20 teams in today’s three-star Nations Cup at Vejer De La Frontera in Spain, where the stand-out Irish performance came from Mikey Pender and The Irish Sport Horse HHS Calais (ISH) who jumped a brilliant double clear.

Waterford’s Anthony Condon was first of the Irish to jump with SFS Vincomte and they looked to be heading for a clear round before the very last fence fell and they also picked up a time fault for a five fault score. Kildare’s Mikey Pender then jumped clear with HHS Calais (ISH), before Tipperary Young Rider Max Wachman finished with eight faults aboard his new mount Berlux Z.

Waterford army rider Commandant Geoff Curran was the anchor rider with Glengarra Wood (ISH) and finished with one fence down to leave Ireland on a first round total of nine faults and safely among the top eight teams who made it into the second round.

Condon and SFS Vincomte finished with one time fault as round two got underway before Pender completed his excellent double clear with HHS Calais (ISH). Max Wachman and Berlux Z were also impressive second time out finishing with just one fence down before Commandant Curran and Glengarra Wood (ISH) also finished with just four faults.

That left Ireland on a final score of 14 faults in sixth place of the 20 teams while Britain took the winners prize on just two time faults.

The Irish Show Jumping team is sponsored by Devenish & The Underwriting Exchange
Equiline – Official athlete clothing supplier of Horse Sport Ireland

BREEDING
HHS Calais (ISH) – 2011 gelding by Cavalier Royale (HOLST) out of MHS OBOS Cruise (ISH) by OBOS Quality (OLD). Breeder: Ita Brennan, Co. Kilkenny. Owner: Bravo Hughes Ltd. Rider: Michael Pender (IRL).
Glengarra Wood (ISH), 2010 gelding by Capitalist (HOLST) out of Cavalier Forest (ISH), by Cavalier Clover Lad (ISH). Breeder: Myles Somers, Co. Wexford. Owner: Minister For Defence. Rider: Commandant Geoff Curran.