THE Irish Show Jumping team lined out for the four-star Nations Cup at Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday, with the team of Kildare’s Mikey Pender with HHS Calais (ISH); Tipperary’s Shane Breen with Z7 Ipswich; Cork’s Billy Twomey with Diego del Caribe and Derry’s David Simpson with Pjotr van de Kruishoeve. Ireland was drawn third to jump of the eight teams competing.

First in for the Irish team was Kildare’s Mikey Pender riding HHS Calais (ISH), bred in Co Kilkenny by Ita Brennan, and they jumped clear. This 13-year-old gelding is by Cavalier Royale (HOLST) out of MHS OBOS Cruise (ISH) by OBOS Quality (OLD) and is owned by Bravo Hughes Ltd.