OLYMPIC event rider Aoife Clark scored an international victory for Ireland last weekend, when she won the CCI3*-L at the North Holland Horse Trials with Standfast. The combination scored 31.5 to lie eighth after dressage, but then posted the fastest round cross-country and jumped clear on the final day to finish on 33.1 and win by a margin of more than a mark. The other two podium places were occupied by Dutch riders Renske Koeze and Anne Kok, while Clark also finished tenth with Night Agent. 17 combinations completed.

An eight-year-old TIH gelding (Island Commander x Flagmount King), Standfast was purchased by Clark as a three-year-old at the Monart Sale, and is now owned by the Ace of Spades syndicate. Speaking after her win, she said: “I have always thought a lot of him. Last year, with the ground so, so hard in the UK, we didn’t end up doing a CCI3*-L with him as a seven-year-old, so I wanted to get a three-day into him early enough this year. He felt brilliant, he’s wintered really well and he’s matured a lot this season.

“He’s traditionally bred, with a huge engine and speed, but his body has probably just taken that little bit longer to mature.

“He’s class, he’s got a great brain, and a super jumping record as well. He’s careful, he’s clever and I was really, really thrilled with him.

“The plan will probably be to give him a little break now and then aim him at going advanced and doing the eight and nine-year-olds at Blenheim in the autumn.”