ROBBIE Kearns should be very pleased with his weekend’s work, finishing in the top 10 at CCI5* Luhmühlen in Germany. One of just seven five-star eventing competitions world-wide, the Longines Luhmühlen Horse Trials attracts some of the best combinations in the sport.

The 2025 renewal saw 47 starters in the five-star class, with just 25 completing. There were three Irish competitors on the start list, with Kearns finishing best of these, securing a super top 10 finish with the 16-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Chance Encounter (TIH).

The pair were sitting in 37th place after dressage, but a super clear jumping round across the country with just two time-penalties saw them jump to 11th place. Four faults in the show jumping phase gave them a final score of 45.2, which put them in a very credible 10th place at the finish.

Chance Encounter is by Creevagh Grey Rebel (ID) out of Camedia (TB) by Lord Americo (TB) and was bred by Robin Johnson in Co Antrim; the horse is owned by Richard Ames.

Ros Canter won her second five-star of the year, this time with Izilot DHI, on a score of 28.8, while the other two Irish riders both completed – Alice Copithorne on Fort Arthur Little Dolly finishing 21st and Declan Cullen on Seavaghan Ash in 25th.

Irish-bred horses made a good impression on the first day of dressage: Cooley Snapchat (ISH), bred by Alan Wheeler, scored 31.5 under Selina Milnes (GBR); KEC Deakon (ISH), bred by Anna Kennedy, scored 31.6 under Aaron Millar (GBR) (31.6) and MHS Seventeen (ISH), bred by Mary Brennan, scored 33.5 for Ros Canter.