IRELAND took the runner-up spot in the Agria Nations Cup of Great Britain, which was the highlight of Friday afternoon in Hickstead’s International Arena. The five-star class saw eight teams lining up to do battle, with Ireland drawn fourth to jump. Jessica Kürten’s Irish squad comprised of David Simpson on Pjotr Van De Kruishoeve, Lt Michaeli Byrne on MSH Claregalway (ISH), Shane Breen on Scarteen and Conor Swail on Clonterm Obolensky (ISH) and they finished second to the home nation, Great Britain.
In the first round, Simpson picked up eight faults, while Byrne collected four on board the 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare MSH Claregalway (Cornet Obolensky x Lady Acobat by Acobat II), bred by Niall and John Mullins. Breen incurred eight penalties, but Swail balanced that with a perfect clear round with Clonterm Obolensky (Cornet Obolensky x She Has The Lux by Lux Z), the 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding bred by Brian Duff, to put Ireland on a first-round tally of 12 and in joint second place at the halfway stage.
In round two, Simpson improved on his first-round score, picking up four faults this time, while Byrne collected eight. Breen kept a clean sheet in the second round and Swail completed double clear. This gave Ireland a second-round total of four and an overall score of 16, which was good enough for second place behind the British team on eight. Canada completed the podium on a score of 24.
Top 10
The five-star Agria Royal International fixture at Hickstead saw international show jumping commencing with the Royal International Salver class on Thursday, July 23rd, which saw three Irish riders in the top 10. Richard Howley rode Caprice D’Elle into second place, with a clear round in 61.90, while Shane Breen on the 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare CSF Thomascourt Zena placed fifth in 63.93 and David Simpson on Billy Fountain came ninth in 69.42. Abdullah Mohd Al Marri (UAE) on Diabla PS took first place, narrowly ahead of Howley, in 61.50.
The 11-year-old stallion Bandit (previously Dunroe Quality) (OBOS Quality 004 x Rockmount Sineen by Cruising Micky Finn), bred by Ted McKenna and ridden by Harry Charles (GBR), continues to fly the flag for the Irish Sport Horse and won the 1.50m Clipmyhorse.tv Tankard class on Thursday afternoon. A start list of 56 produced 36 first-round clears, with a total of 22 finishing the second round without penalty.
Great Britain’s Harry Charles and the 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse stallion Bandit won the Clipmyhorse.tv Tankard class at the Royal International Horse Show at Hickstead \ Hickstead
Charles and Bandit’s time of 29.04 seconds proved unbeatable.
The Breen Equestrian one-star Young Horse first qualifier saw Ireland’s Liam Hayes on BE Valencia finish in eighth place, while in Friday’s second qualifier, Hayes and his mount placed ninth, behind Simpson on Ocean in seventh place.
Irish-breds
Meanwhile, the Ashby Underwriting Eventers’ Challenge on Thursday afternoon demonstrated the skills of Irish-bred horses, when they took the top three places in the class - all under British riders. Gemma Stevens rode last year’s winner, the 10-year-old gelding Cooley Park Muze (Pollux de Muze Z x TJM Arc In The Park by L’Arc de Triomphe, bred by John Connolly), to win the class (the rider’s third time to do so), while Tara Dixon was second with the 13-year-old gelding Master Smart (Satisfaction Frh x Kilpatrick Pip by Master Imp, bred by Edmond Crotty) and Alexander Bragg was third on the 14-year-old gelding Ardeo Premier (Hold Up Premier x Playgirl by Cruising, bred by Michael Beattie).
Stevens praised her mount afterwards, saying: “He (Cooley Park Muze) is the most wonderful jumper, and safe to say, he’s probably the best horse I’ve ever sat on. He’s so incredibly adjustable; I can be full speed and go back to a collected canter in less than two strides - and there aren’t many horses that can do that.”
On Saturday, Simpson rode Kolman VDP into 10th place in the Royal International Trophy class, when double clear in 45.39. The class was won by Belgium’s Mathieu Bourdeaud’hui on My Kingdom, with a double clear in 37.81.
In the 27-strong JCL Insurance Brokers Queen Elizabeth II Cup class, Peter Moloney was best of the Irish when riding the 13-year-old gelding Nielsen into fourth place. The pair recorded a double clear round in a jump-off time of 37.56 - less than two seconds behind the winner, Holly Smith (GBR) on Fruselli (35.60). Longford’s Derek McCoppin and Capital Levubu made it through to the jump-off and placed eighth in the class.
Later in the day, the Unex Group Speed Classic saw Howley finish on the podium in third with Caprice D’Elle, with a clear round in 64.43. Breen and CSF Thomascourt Zena finished in sixth place, when clear in 66.63. It was a British one-two, when Ben Maher on Ginger-Blue took the win (62.82) and Matthew Sampson on the 13-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Latte Macchiato was runner-up in 63.05.
Meanwhile, the Breen Equestrian one-star Young Horse consolation final saw McCoppin riding Nozem to finish in fourth place.
Sunday’s Breen Equestrian one-star Young Horse Final saw Simpson ride Ocean into ninth place, while Hayes and BE Valencia finished just outside the top 10, in 11th place.