EGYPT’s Sameh El Dahan won the most lucrative puissance class in Europe last Saturday evening when he was the only rider at the RDS to clear the massive 2.20 metre wall - 7ft 2in - writes Roisin Sheridan.

El Dahan landed the winner’s prize of €12,400 on Seapatrick Cruise Cavalier for the achievement, the horse volunteered for the competition by Co Antrim teenager Chris Megahey who was too young to enter the RDS event himself.

Megahey, who won the Emerald International Puissance with the horse, answered a plea on Facebook from Joanne Sloan Allen of Sycamore Stables looking for a Puissance horse for El Dahan to compete in Dublin. The rider had only sat on the Glenapatrick Sport Horses mount twice before the RDS victory.

Owner Britt Megahey said: “The atmosphere in the main arena was electric, it was a joy to see Sameh making that jump on Seapatrick Cruise Cavalier.”

A decent field of 16 riders lined out for the competition.

Three riders failed to make it through to round two where the wall was raised to 1.95. Once again three riders didn’t progress to round three which left 10 to go through.

Here the wall was raised to 2.05m and once it had gone over the two metre mark, the wall took its toll with seven riders having it down.

Jump-off number three had just three contenders; Billy Twomey for Ireland, Venezuela’s Andres Rodriguez and Sameh El Dahan for Egypt.

El Dahan led the way and rode Seapatrick Cruise Cavalier to yet another fault-free round to the delight of the packed stands. Twomey was next for the home side but his mount Ratina Kan faulted.

This left just Rodriguez and Caballito. Trained by Eddie Macken, Rodriguez certainly knew how to get the crowd behind him; ripping off his jacket to reveal a green Irish rugby jersey after he cleared the wall for a fourth time.

The final round saw the wall at 2.20, with just two riders remaining. El Dahan was first and sailed over the wall.

With a sharp intake of breath from the crowd, Rodriguez made his approach but Caballito refused and the majority of the spoils went Egypt’s way.