THE backdrop wasn’t quite as traditional as usual for the renewal of Friday’s Aga Khan Nations Cup at the 150th Dublin Horse Show. Despite ongoing construction on the Ballsbridge site, the atmosphere lived up to expectation when fans packed out the grandstand and new north stand to watch The Netherlands lift the historic trophy for just the third time.

Michael Blake’s Irish team were going for their 25th win, and first since 2022, but it wasn’t to be when they had to settle for third place behind a strong German team in second. It was Ireland’s 12th podium finish in Dublin since 2010.

Dutch chef d’equipe Wout-Jan Van Der Schans was delighted with his team of Frank Schuttert, Kevin Jochems, Willem Greve and Harrie Smolders. “We know that Harrie is such a strong rider. And the first time he had this horse in the Nations Cup, he brings a double clear round. And all the other riders, they were really fighting for it. We were the whole week planning to win the Aga Khan this year here, and we did it with three clear rounds, three double clear rounds. So what can you have better?

“This is a really historic competition. We have a few in Europe with a lot of history and, if you can win one of them, that makes the year really good. Alan Wade did build a really good course. It was not crazy big, but it was nice to watch for the people and the riders. I think he did a good job.”

The aforementioned Alan Wade built a strong 12-fence course with the most problems coming at the triple combination at fence 4abc, and the double of verticals at 8a and b. Just one of the first line riders – USA’s Aaron Vale – produced a clear from the first eight while Tom Wachman and Seamus Hughes Kennedy jumped two of only seven double clears in the competition.

Seamus Hughes Kennedy and ESI Rocky jumping the Aga Khan at the 2025 Dublin Horse Show \ Laurence Dunne Jumpinaction.net

Pathfinder

Denis Lynch was the pathfinder for Ireland with the Tipperary Finest-owned 12-year-old stallion Vistogrand (Fantasland x Mr Visto). An unfortunate foot in the water saw them finish with four faults.

Twenty-year-old Tom Wachman was next to go on his Aga Khan debut aboard the 10-year-old gelding Tabasco de Toxandria Z and he punched the air and waved to the crowd after a sensational clear round in front of ecstatic home fans.

Another making his Aga Khan debut was 22-year-old Seamus Hughes Kennedy with the fabulous Irish Sport Horse ESI Rocky (Stakkato Gold x For Pleasure) and the crowd once again erupted when, despite a good rattle on the back bar on the final fence, they were clear all the way home to keep Ireland on a score of zero. Rocky was bred by the Hughes family as Ennisnag Stud and owned by Seamus’ mother Clare.

On his 19th Aga Khan appearance, Cian O’Connor once again filled the anchorman role with the Karlswood Partners-owned Bentley du Sury. The pair caught the back bar on the oxer at fence seven to finish with four faults. That left Ireland on a total of four faults after round one, in fourth place.

The Netherlands – despite a difficult start with Frank Schuttert’s 12 faults – finished on zero after the first round, alongside USA who also finished with a clean sheet thanks to clears from Aaron Vale, Laura Kraut and McLain Ward. Germany were also on four faults while Canada, competing in the Aga Khan for the first time in 35 years, sat on eight faults.

Second round

Denis Lynch and Vistogrand \ Laurence Dunne Jumpinaction.net

Denis Lynch repeated his four-fault round second time out when a difficult distance to the triple bar meant Vistogrand had no chance of clearing the back bar. Germany’s Christian Ahlmann kept their hopes alive with a clear round, but USA and The Netherlands threw Ireland a lifeline when finishing with eight faults from both Aaron Vale and Schuttert.

Wachman returned and looked years beyond his age when delivering an immaculate second clear round to keep Ireland’s chances of a first win since 2022 alive.

Former eventing world champion Sandra Auffarth (Quirici H) also produced a double clear to keep Germany fighting, but the USA slipped behind Ireland when they had to count four faults from Alex Matz and Ikigai, before Kevin Jochems (Camilla van de Helle) kept the Dutch out in front with a second clear round.

Just as his young compatriot did, Hughes Kennedy returned yet another double clear to keep his immaculate record at 1.60m level intact and the home fans went wild once again. It kept Ireland in the hunt, but another clear from Willem Greve and Grandorado TN N.O.P meant The Netherlands remained in the driving seat and, despite four faults from Germany’s Marco Kutscher and Catelly, they also remained ahead of Ireland with the last line riders to come.

Cian O’Connor pulled a clear out of the bag to keep Ireland on a perfect score of zero in round two and then it was a waiting game to see what the two teams ahead would do.

Richard Vogel jumped clear to help Germany also finish on four faults and they were ahead of Ireland on time.

However, the Dutch were in form and Harrie Smolders riding Mr Tac delivered the third double clear for the team to secure victory on a score of zero. That meant Michael Blake’s Irish team finished in third place.

It was only the third Aga Khan win for the Dutch who last won the competition in 2010 when Smolders was also on the team.

Cian O'Connor and Bentley du Sury jumping the Aga Khan at the 2025 Dublin Horse Show \ Laurence Dunne Jumpinaction.net