Ireland finished second in the Longines FEI Nations’ Cup at Samorin in Slovakia on Sunday which was the first opportunity this season to score points in Europe Division One.
At the halfway stage, the Irish quartet were on four faults along with team manager Rodrigo Pessoa’s native Brazil. Switzerland held pole position on zero faults with Italy next on four.
The highlight for Ireland in that opening round was a clear from US-based Limerick native Paul O'Shea with Skara Glen's Machu Picchu. Co Louth's Mark McAuley also kept all the poles standing with Utchan De Belheme - finishing with one time fault - while Cork's Shane Sweetnam on Chaqui Z lowered a single fence.
Tipperary's Shane Breen had provided the discard score in round one with Ipswich Van De Wolfsakker but looked to be heading for a clear on his second attempt before the last fence fell for four faults.
McAuley and Utchan De Belheme returned with eight faults before O’Shea and the 11-year-old Skara Glen’s Machu Picchu completed one of just four double clears in the competition. Sweetnam and Chaqui Z then repeated their four-fault score from the first round when last to go. This left Ireland on a two-round total of 13 faults behind Switzerland on nine and ahead of Belgium on 16.
“It was a very good result to start the year,” commented Pessoa. “It is still only the end of April and for a lot of the horses it was their first time this season jumping on grass. We have to salute Paul O’Shea for his double clear round with Machu Picchu. The course wasn’t easy and the faults were spread out all over the course. Overall it’s a very positive start for us and our riders also had a very good show here in Samorin in the individual classes.”
At home, Tipperary's Greg Broderick made it two-for-two in the TRM/Horse Sport Ireland New Heights champions series when winning Sunday's second round at Portmore Equestrian in Co Antrim with Mary Ellen de Rushi's 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding Duco. The combination recorded the only double clear in the 30-runner competition.
Equestrian - Show jumping
Bonheiden, Belgium
Saturday
1.45m jump-off - 1, Ireland’s Nabab’s Atlanto (Eoin McMahon) 0/0, 41.56; 2, Britain’s Alzu Ohio (Joe Clee) 0/0, 41.64; 3, Belgium’s Hollywood Be Good (Charlotte Lutz) 0/0, 41.94; 4, Belgium’s Captain (Kevin Gielen) 00, 43.02; 5, Germany’s Concentus 4 (Jens Christ) 0/0, 44.27; 6, Belgium’s Idalgo van de Boslandhoeve (Louise van Laer) 0/0, 47.44; 70 starters.
Sunday
1.45m Grand Prix - 1, Belgium’s Lady Cracotte (Niels Bruynseels) 0/0, 41.12; 2, Morocco’s Cher V (Leina Benkhraba) 0/0, 43.08; 3, Finland’s Lorenzo (Anna-Julio Kontio) 0/4, 40.28; 4, Canada’s Jewel 8 (Eric Lamaze) 0/4, 41.66; 5, Britain’s Dirka des Brumes (David McPherson) 0/4, 41.95; 6, Ireland’s HH Gypsy (Sophie Dalm) 0/4, 42.29; 62 starters.
Eschweiler, Germany
Saturday
1.50m Grand Prix - 1, Belgium’s Chatto 4 (Jasper Kools) 0/0, 44.72; 2, South Africa’s Bjerglunds Cuba (Alexa Stais) 0/0, 44.78; 3, France’s Vino d’Espinet (Roger Yves Bost) 0/0, 45.34; 4, Belgium’s Alina 440 (Nisse Luneburg) 0/0, 45.34; 5, Ireland’s Zira vh Kepelhof Z (Anthony Condon) 0/0, 47.47; 6, Brazil’s Homer van de Barlebuis (Victor Mariano Luminatti) 0/0, 48.90; 58 starters.
Sunday
1.50m jump-off - 1, Sweden’s Mama Mia (Alexander Zettereman) 0/0, 36.31; 2, Germany’s Casarah (Hans-Jorn Ottens) 0/0, 36.96; 3, Italy’s Stone Cold Sober (Raffaele Valente) 0/0, 3773; 4, Ireland’s SFS Aristio (Anthony Condon) 0/0, 37.79; 5, Japan’s Czarny (Hikari Yoshizawa) 0/0, 39.50; 6, FEI’s Cannonball du Toultia Z (Talal Al Zahem) 0/0, 39.98; 33 starters.
Hagen, Germany
Sunday
1.60m Grand Prix - 1, Germany’s DSP Cashmoaker (Denis Nielsen) 0/0, 53.54; 2, Austria’s Saphyr des Lacs (Christian Rhomberg) 0/0, 55.04; 3, Ireland’s Quirex (Cameron Hanley) 0/0, 55.42; 4, Germany’s Cool Hand Luke 4 (Markus Beerbaum) 0/0, 55.71; 5, Germany’s Stella 981 (Markus Renzel) 0/0, 57.84; 6, Germany’s Contagio (Gerrit Neiberg) 0/0, 62.06; 48 starters.
Maubeuge, France
Saturday
1.45m jump-off - 1, Ireland’s Curly Su 163 (David Simpson) 0/0, 35.16; 2, Sweden’s W Diva Rosa MFS (Annika Alexsson) 0/0, 35.66; 3, Belgium’s Bandia (Maxime Harmegnies) 0/0, 35.77; 4, The Netherlands’ Doreusa (Dennis van den Brink) 0/0, 36.18; 5, Belgium’s Icuna van’t Lozerhof (Axel Vandoorne) 0/0, 36.60; 6, Norway’s Clintissima van Spalbeek Z (Marit Haarr Skollerud) 0/0, 36.86; 46 starters.
Portmore Equestrian Centre, Co Antrim
Saturday
Show Jumping Ireland 1.40m national Grand Prix - 1, Noletta Smyth and Roy Craig’s Mulvin Lui (Jonathan Smith) 0/0, 45.88; 2, Helen Sheridan’s Russel Style (Liam O’Meara) 0/0, 46.54; 3, Pat Squibb’s Zaronda II (Ciaran Nallon) 0/0, 48.37; 4, Declan McEvoy’s BLM Cosmopolitan Dandy (Owner) 0/0, 50.91; 5, Ivor Broderick’s Goodluck VDL (Neal Fearon) 0/0, 56.74; 6, Max O’Reilly Hyland’s Ahmed du Calvaire (Owner) 0/0, 56.74; 57 starters.
Sunday
TRM/Horse Sport Ireland New Heights champions series - 1, Mary Ellen de Rushi’s Duco (Greg Broderick) 0/0, 39.83; 2, Ladycastle Syndicate’s Vimminka (Nicholas Butler) 4/0, 36.04; equal 3, Sandra Duffy’s Centro Blue (Jake Hunter) and James Buckley and Caroline Teltsch’s BMH Big Time (Tholm Keane) 0/4, 40.17; 5, The Stallion Company’s Arkino Z (Ciaran Nallon) 4/0, 41.05; 6, Caroline Byrne and Minister for Defence’s Hallowberry Cruz (Captain Geoff Curran) 4/4, 37.70; 30 starters.
Samorin, Slovakia
Saturday
1.45m speed - 1, Belgium’s Gentiane de la Pomme (Wilm Vermeir) 0, 62.51; 2, Germany’s Lasse K (Philipp Weishaupt) 0, 63.09; 3, Belgium’s Venus de l’Eyre (Celine Schoonbroodt de Azevedo) 0, 63.40; 4, Ireland’s Jacintha vh Kriekenhof (Mark McAuley) 0, 64.09; 5, Switzerland’s Dubai du Bois Pinchet (Martin Fuchs) 0, 64.65; 6, Brazil’s Berdina (Luiz Felipe de Azevedo Filho) 0, 64.79; 42 starters.
1.50m jump-off - 1, Switzerland’s Corbinian (Steve Guerdat) 0/0, 38.74; 2, Ireland’s Jule van den Tinnenpot (Michael Duffy) 0/0, 38.92; 3, Britain’s Happydam (Samuel Hutton) 0/0, 39.18; 4, Ireland’s Don’t Touch du Bois (Shane Sweetnam) 0/0, 39.73; 5, Ireland’s Jasco vd Bisschop (Mark McAuley) 0/0, 39.83; 6, Spain’s Toledo du Phare (Gonzalo Anon) 0/0, 40.91; 41 starters.
Sunday
Longines FEI 1.6om Nations’ Cup - 1, Switzerland 0/9 = 9; 2 Ireland (Ipswich van de Wolfsakker (Shane Breen) 12/4, Utchkan de Belheme (Mark McAuley) 1/8, Skara Glen’s Machu Picchu (Paul O’Shea) 0/0 and Chaqui Z (Shane Sweetnam) 4/4) 5/8 = 13; 3, Belgium 8/8 = 16; 4, Brazil 5/13 = 18; 5, Italty 4/16 = 20; 6, Sweden 8/12 = 20; 8 teams started.
