SUSIE Berry is flying the flag for the Irish as she leads the NutriScience CCI4*-L field at Ballindenisk International Horse Trials in Cork overnight. Riding John the Bull (ISH), she lay in first place overnight on a dressage score of 30 ahead of Izzy Taylor (GB) and Happy Days on 31.2 and Ryuzo Kitajima (JPN) riding Be My Daisy on 32.3. Ian Casells and Millridge Atlantis (ISH) is the next best of the Irish in this class lying fourth on 32.4.

2024 Badminton-winning combination Caroline Powell (NZL) and Greenacres Special Cavalier (ISH) lead the NutriScience CCI4*-S field on 26.5, with Izzy Taylor again nipping at the leader’s heels in second with SBH Big Wall (ISH) on 28.1.

Sarah Ennis is best of the Irish overnight here lying third with Dourough Ferro Class Act (ISH) on 29.7 and Susie Berry is well-placed in fifth with Kilcandra Capitol (ISH) on 31.1.

In the CCI3*-L Emily Young Jamieson (GB) and Klaas Jan B are leading on 27.6 ahead of Ireland’s Steven Smith who scored 32 with Strangford (ISH). Young Irish rider Momo Sheehy lies third with TMX Herby on 32.2.

Izzy Taylor leads the CCI2*-L with Barrington Boy (ISH) on 25.6 ahead of Ireland’s Sam Watson who scored 27.1 with Ballybolger Goldman (ISH). Taylor also leads the CCI3*-S with Bayaanaat on 25 ahead of Joseph Murphy with Barberstown Castle Rehy (ISH) on 28.

Ireland’s Alison Holden leads the CCI2*-S with Lates Eddie (ISH) on 29.4 and the CCI1*-Intro is led jointly by Maeve Deverell on Annaharvey Dunowen (ISH) and Ciara O’Connor with Ashwood Rio (ISH), both on 26.2. Maya Byrne is first overnight in the CCIP2-L with Longwood Laura (CP) on 33.2.

Today (Saturday) the cross-country phase will begin at 12 noon in the following order: CCI4*-L, CCI3*-L, CCI2*-L and CCI2P-L, while the CCI4*-S, CCI3*-S, CCI2*-S and CCI1-Intro classes will show jump on Saturday and begin cross-country at 11am on Sunday.

Kentucky record

Meanwhile, at the first CCI5* of the year, Olympic champions Michael Jung and FischerChipmunk FRH set a new Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event dressage record at the US venue on Thursday when scoring 18.6. It is the 17-year-old bay gelding’s first competition since winning the gold medal in Paris last July.

“We didn’t have such good competitions around my place so I needed to think about a different preparation,” the German rider said after his record-breaking test.

“I went to a few training places to prepare him. We have a great partnership. We have done so many competitions and I think he’s in a really great shape.”

Second and third after day one was the New Zealand pair of Tim Price (Jarillo) and Clarke Johnstone (Menlo Park), both on a score of 28.4. As we went to press, day two of the dressage was set to resume at 6.30pm Irish time.