KILDARE'S Judy Reynolds made history on Saturday by becoming the first ever Irish rider to qualify for the World Cup Dressage Finals.

Reynolds received an invitation to compete at the 2016 World Cup finals and went on to finish in eighth place. However, a sixth place finish in today’s final qualifying round of the 2017 series at s-Hertogenbosch in The Netherlands, coupled with excellent results throughout the winter season, saw Reynolds finish on a 57 point total and in third place on the final league table, comfortably booking her a place in the world finale.

Riding the Joe and Kathleen Reynolds-owned 15-year-old gelding Vancouver K, Judy finished with a score of 77.87% in Saturday’s competition, which was won by Dutch rider Hans Peter Minderhoud riding Glock´s Flirt on a score of 84.89%.

German World No.1 Isabel Werth finished second with Emilio (83.30%), while another German rider, Jessica von Bredow-Werndl, took third place on the podium with Zaire (80.265%).

Tipperary’s Denis Lynch also finished in third place on the Show Jumping World Cup league table following the last qualifying round in Gothenburg and he will join Judy Reynolds at the World Cup Finals, which take place at Omaha in the USA later this month.