THE four-star Eventing Nations Cup at Bicton Arena in Devon, England may have yielded a disappointing result for the Irish team, but there were some very positive individual results across the various classes. The best of these was from Susannah Berry, who finished on the podium in the CCIO4*-NC-S individually.

Just four teams contested the Nations Cup class, with the Irish team, all riding Irish Sport Horses, of Molly O’Neill on the 11-year-old mare Muckridge Quick Step, Susannah Berry on the 15-year-old gelding John The Bull, Danielle McCormack on the nine-year-old gelding MGH Hildare Harlequin and Padraig McCarthy on the 10-year-old home-bred gelding MGH Zabaione finishing fourth after O’Neill suffered elimination in the show jumping phase and McCarthy withdrew on the cross-country course, each adding penalties to the team score to put Ireland on 309.9 overall.

The win went to the British team on 135.6, with the United States second on 182.2 and New Zealand third on 199.5.

Berry and John The Bull (Luidam x Think About It by Houmayoun), bred by James Byrne, excelled, placing third individually, after a dressage score of 29.4 (which had her in second place after that phase), a clear show jumping round and 14 time penalties across the country put her on a final score of 43.4. The time allowed on the cross-country proved too tight for all the finishers and even Kirsty Chabert (GBR), who took first place with Classic VI on 36.5, incurred 5.6 time penalties. Her fellow Brit Laura Collett on London 52 finished second, also on 36.5.

Danielle McCormack and MGH Hildare Harlequin, bred by McCarthy, finished in 13th place overall, adding eight show jumping and 12 cross-country time penalties to her dressage score of 46.5.

Meanwhile, in the CCI3*-S, McCormack claimed a remarkable two top-10 placings, taking the runner-up spot with Hildare Easton D’Eclipse, as well as seventh place with Hildare Trust Me. McCormack was only beaten by Tom McEwen (GBR) riding Brookfield Future News.

The CCIJ2*-L saw Ireland’s Zara McCarthy place 10th with Tom McCarthy’s Romans Red Affair, while the CCIY3*-L saw Ava Dowley on Ida 83 finish on the podium in third, with Molly O’Connor and Stillbrook Aoife finishing ninth.