THE international action on Saturday morning at the Laya Arena kicked off with the Royal Dublin Society Stakes where world number two and current European Champion Richard Vogel got a win on the board for Germany.

The Table A one-round speed class saw 31 combinations start and it was Commandant Geoff Curran who set the standard when ninth into the arena with the Minister for Defence’s DHF Alliance (Douglas x Lux Z), bred by Paul Douglas, in a time of 60.18.

The lead held until Vogel was sixth last into the arena with the eight-year-old gelding Chember 3 (Charleston x Quebec 19) who was just under a second faster in 59.33 seconds to take the top prize of €8,460. Frenchman Kevin Staut slotted into third place with Fast de Denat (0/ 60.42), ahead of Ireland’s Francis Derwin with Parvati AEG who won Wednesday morning’s Speed Stakes to get the show underway.

William Whitaker (Cristallo’s Double Take) took fifth, ahead of three Irish in Tom Wachman (Obora’s Laura), Mikey Pender (HHS Orchidee) and Max Wachman (Gift des Lunes).

It was Vogel’s second visit to the Dublin Horse Show. “It’s a spectacular place,” he commented afterwards.

“I heard many, many good things about the show and how unique it is and how the crowd is such a horsey crowd. You can really feel that when you get here; that the horse is really in the culture of the of the people and of the crowd here. So it’s a fantastic place. Our horses jump super here especially inside the main arena with this big grass field. We have perfect conditions.”

On his horse, Vogel said: “He is very talented; has a lot of scope and stride and he is a super character. We bought him as a six-year-old from the breeder. We developed him for a little less than a year and then as a seven-year-old he went to Federico Fernandez who still owns him. He had some great results and now I have the pleasure to take the ride on Chembers’ again. I’m thrilled with his performance.”

Vogel’s next big target is the FEI World Championships on home soil in Aachen where he will ride United Touch S.

“United is a unique and once in a life horse so I am very happy to have him. He’s resting for the World Equestrian Games in Aachen. He seems very fit. His groom/rider is at home with him and I’ll be with him again on Monday and then we will have the full focus on Aachen.”