THE task of winning Friday's Aga Khan Nations Cup will not be given up without a good fight from the Irish show jumping team.

Speaking at press conference in the RDS today (Tuesday), Bertram Allen, described the Irish team spirits as strong ahead of the challenges facing them at both Dublin and the upcoming European Championships at Aachen next week.

On the eve of the opening of the 142nd Discover Ireland Dublin Horse Show, the world No 7 rider also spoke of his delight at being selected as part of the five-man squad for the five-star Nations' Cup challenge at the RDS.

"It is special to be picked as part of the Irish Nations Cup team. For an Irish rider, it's one of the highlights of the year. I have been selected on one of my best horses Romanov (17), who is in great form. We have a strong team here of five Irish riders. I am not sure which four they are going to go with but I don’t think we will be far off it,'' said Allen who has just turned 20.

Irish chef d'equipe Robert Splaine recently named his squad as Bertram Allen with Romanov, co-owned with Billy Twomey; Greg Broderick with Caledonia Stables' MHS Going Global (ISH); Darragh Kenny with Caroline Lloyd's Sans Soucis Z; Cian O'Connor with Adena Spring's Good Luck and Conor Swail with Vanessa Mannix's Grand Cru VD Vijf Eiken. Investec is sponsoring the Irish team.

Assessing the competition, Allen said: "A five-star Nations Cup is always going to be very competitive and very difficult but if we can get organised and get stuck in, we should be as strong on paper as anyone. Britain is always strong here, they like winning here, Scott Brash is here, along with a lot of their other best riders so they won't be easy to beat.

"We don't get to compete at home in Ireland too often because we are abroad on the circuit so to come home and show everyone what we are doing is brilliant.

There is a strong team spirit, we all bounce things off each other,'' said Allen who is also ready to defend his Longines Grand Prix of Dublin win, captured last year on his great grey mare Molly Malone V.

The mare, who partnered Allen to his latest five-star Grand Prix victory in Dinard, France, at the weekend, will not be competing at Dublin as Allen is saving her ahead of the vital European Championships challenge in Aachen.

"It wasn't an easy decision, not bringing her here but she competed in France last week so she will have a rest now before for the Europeans, hopefully that was the right decision," said the young rider today.

Asked about Ireland's chances of taking a qualification slot for Rio at Aachen, Allen said: "On paper we have a great chance, it would be great if we could do something here this week to set us up. I have left Molly Malone at home in preparation for that hoping that, that is the best plan. These two competitions are our biggest goals as Irish riders this year, the competitions have come quite close together but hopefully our plan will come together."

RDS

"I have been coming here since I was nine, so to get back here in front of everyone, to talk to everyone and to be in this magnificent arena, at such an important show I am proud. That atmosphere when you walk through the gates is what we do it for. It is never easy to win a Grand Prix but Romanov feels great so we will just have to see how the week progresses,'' said Allen.

Barely 19 when he won the Longines Grand Prix of Dublin 2014, the win kicked off a whirlwind year of top drawer wins for the young Wexford man including a recent Longines Global Champions Tour win and coming third in the FEI World Cup earlier this year.

"It kick-started right here last year winning the Grand Prix and it has just taken off from there. It has been magnificent and it is just brilliant to be back. The support from home and the strong following is great for the sport. I have been lucky to have the chances, the opportunities and the horses and I have taken them and that is what has got me to where I am so quickly. It is abnormal to be here so fast but I just had the right chances and opportunities and I took them,'' said Allen.