THERE was success for the Irish as Tops International Arena at Valkenswaard in The Netherlands hosted their Summer Classic Show from July 10th-12th, with two-star classes running alongside the four-star contests.

Tipperary’s Denis Lynch made a good start when taking second place from 81 starters in the two-star 1.40m Medium Tour two-phase class on board Mr Newman, when double clear in a second-phase time of 28.13.

That was just 0.1 of a second behind the winner, Olivier Perreau (FRA) on Celeana des Joanins Z, who clocked 28.03. Diarmuid Howley rode Cabal VA into eighth place in 30.77.

Lynch went one better in the 29-strong two-star 1.45m Big Tour speed class when taking the win with the 11-year-old Katja, with a clear round in 58.15.

Irish connections would have been pleased to see Harry Charles (GBR) winning the four-star 1.50m speed class with Bandit (OBOS Quality 004 x Rockmount Sineen by Cruising Micky Finn), an 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse stallion, bred by Ted McKenna. The start list of 46 produced 20 clear rounds, with Charles recording the fastest time of 60.40 - two and a half seconds ahead of runner-up Daniel Deusser (GER) on Bingo Ste Hermelle (62.91).

On Saturday, Lynch was back on the podium with Mr Newman, when they placed third in the two-star 1.45m speed class. From a start list of 65, just 17 jumped clear within the allocated time and Lynch’s time of 68.49 was only 0.61 seconds off the winner, Harrie Smolders (NED) on For Chacco TN (67.88). Howley placed sixth with Fina VA.

Harry Charles (GBR) rode Bandit to another win, this time in Saturday’s four-star 1.50m speed class, when they jumped clear in 61.88 to once again beat Daniel Deusser (GER) on Bingo Ste Hermelle, who was again relegated to second (62.65).

The two-star 1.40m Medium Tour jump-off class saw Howley place third with Cabal VA.

Sunday saw Ciaran Nallon finish on top of the two-star 1.40m speed class riding Little Special In Red M. Fifteen of the 36 starters remained without fault, but Nallon’s time of 61.94 proved fastest and earned him first place.

The final two-star class of the show, a 1.35m speed class saw Sara Jane Tracy ride Ocellus Eickenrode into fourth place, when clear in 73.51. Australia’s Georgina Harvey Lazarus won the class with Butterfly Ennemmel in 63.69.