Rodrigo Pessoa names Irish team for Friday’s crucial Super League Nations Cup at La Baule while Michael Blake names team for Drammen

Ireland’s Show Jumping manager Rodrigo Pessoa has named the Irish team, sponsored by The Underwriting Exchange and Devenish, for tomorrow’s (Friday) FEI Super League Nations Cup at La Baule in France.

Irish Show Jumping Team Manager Rodrigo Pessoa (Photo: Matt Browne/Sportsfile)

La Baule will be Ireland’s first of six points-scoring rounds in Division 1 of the FEI Nations Cup series. It promises to be a hugely competitive encounter at the French coastal venue, with seven teams chasing points.

Along with Ireland, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain and the home team from France will be battling for points, in a bid to stay in Europe Division 1 and to qualify for the Nations Cup World Final in Barcelona.

Belgium will also field a team in La Baule but as they are a Division 2 team they will not be eligible to collect points.

Ireland have been drawn second to jump of the eight teams taking part and will line out as follows:

Tipperary’s Denis Lynch (41), riding the 14-year-old stallion All Star – owned by Thomas Straumann & Denis Lynch
Tipperary’s Shane Breen (42), riding the 12-year-old stallion Golden Hawk – owned by P. Sultan & Breen Equestrian
Galway’s Michael Duffy (22), riding the 11-year-old gelding Belcanto Z – owned by Alan Burnell
Cork’s Shane Sweetnam (36), riding the 11-year-old stallion Chaqui Z – owned by Spy Coast Farm

Speaking after announcing the Irish team, triple Olympic medalist Rodrigo Pessoa said:

“We are presenting a good team here in La Baule for our first points scoring round. It rained a bit here today (Thursday) but conditions are good and we are looking forward to a good result tomorrow.”

The La Baule Nations Cup starts at 1pm Irish time and is available to watch live on FEITV, with updates also on Team Ireland Equestrian Twitter & Facebook.

Following La Baule, Ireland’s remaining points-scoring Nations Cup rounds will come at Rome (May 26th), Rotterdam (June 23rd), Falsterbo (July 14th), Hickstead (July 28th), and Ireland’s home Nations Cup at the RDS in Dublin on August 11th, where teams will compete for the Aga Khan trophy.

Meanwhile, Irish Development Team Manager Michael Blake has named his team for the three-star Division 2 Nations Cup which also takes place tomorrow, Friday at Drammen in Norway

The Irish team have been drawn 10th of 13 teams taking part and will line out as follows:

Meath’s Alexander Butler with Hallowberry Cruz (ISH)(TIH) – owned by Caroline Byrne
Louth’s Mark McAuley with Utchan De Belheme – owned by Jocelyn Berthelot
Mayo’s Cameron Hanley with Quirex – owned by Patrick Mielnik
Waterford’s Capt. Geoff Curran with Ringwood Glen (ISH) – owned by The Minister For Defence

As Ireland is a Division 1 nation, they will not be competing for points in the Drammen. Irish Show Jumping Development Team Manager Michael Blake said:

“We are expecting a tough competition with some strong teams particularly from Britain and Belgium. I think this is a very good Irish team with plenty of experience. I would like to thank all the owners for making their horses available to the Irish team and we look forward to a competitive competition here in Drammen.”

The Drammen Nations Cup starts at 4.15pm Irish time.
**Editors note**

About the Irish Show Jumping Team Sponsors:

The Underwriting Exchange is one of Lloyd’s of London’s leading and fastest growing Lloyd’s Brokers, who specialise in niche insurance and reinsurance solutions in the United Kingdom, Ireland and internationally.

Devenish is a farming and food company headquartered in Belfast, delivering innovative scientific solutions and technologies for the feed industry, the food industry and for human health. Devenish provides pre-mix and feed for equine, pigs, poultry, cattle, sheep, aquaculture, game and pets. With nine manufacturing sites across Northern Ireland, GB, the USA and Uganda, the company is now exporting to over 35 countries worldwide.