A CALM and collected Bertram Allen was instrumental in helping the Irish show jumping team add another victory to their 2023 roll of honour at the CSIO5* BMO Nations Cup in Spruce Meadows on Saturday night.

Last to go and with a clear needed to win, Allen confidently manoeuvred Pacino Amiro (ISH, Pacino x NC Amiro) around what had proved a difficult course throughout, jumping a perfect round and leaving Ireland on a winning score of five faults.

“I’ve never been here (Spruce Meadows) and I don’t think there’s too many big shows that I’ve haven’t been to in the last 10 years at least once,” Allen said.

“It’s a magical place here. I always wanted to come, but just from the championships or Dublin or the type of horse I had, I could never make it.

“So I made a plan this year to really set it as a goal, and yeah, it’s fantastic. How big it is, how fast it is, the history around the place and then when you go through the clock tower into the main ring it’s even more special. So it’s really, really nice to be here.”

The rest of the team included Daniel Coyle with Legacy (Chippendale Z x Bon Ami), Conor Swail with Calciet EB Z (Cornet Obolensky x Berlin) and Denis Lynch with Brooklyn Heights (Nabab de Reve x For Pleasure).

World number 14 Swail was eliminated in round one having come off after the water jump, leaving Ireland with no second round discard score.

Thankfully, it mattered little as Coyle, who had jumped clear on Legacy in the first round bar a single time penalty, was perfect second time around.

Lynch added just four faults to his first round clear on Brooklyn Heights to set Allen up to bring it home.

Germany finished in the runner-up position on 10 faults, with hosts Canada in third on 16.

“That was superb,” Horse Sport Ireland High Performance show jumping team manager Michael Blake said.

“We were brilliant throughout, and showed why we’re the best team in the world. The lads jumped out of their skin, especially as a trio in round two after Conor’s elimination.

“There was literally no room for error at the end there and Bertram got the job done.”

It ends a consistent run of fantastic, yet frustrating form for Blake, who added: “I said it after the European Championship - I was getting a bit sick of finishing second!

“Hickstead, Dublin, Milano - we were due a win and we did it in style there today. It’s never easy to win a Nations Cup, but to do it without one of the best riders in the world for the second round made it that bit more difficult - the lads were just brilliant, though, I’m very proud.”

Attention will now switch to the final of the FEI Longines Nations Cup in Barcelona, with Blake hopeful of another positive result.

“This will fill us with confidence, and obviously it will be very tough. The best of the best will be there but we’re up there with the very best,” he added.

“Whatever squad we send there will be more than capable of doing the business - we have some of the best horses and riders in the world and hopefully we can show that again in Barcelona.”