THE Longines Global Champions Tour returned to the Longines Tops International Arena at Valkenswaard in the Netherlands over the weekend for three days of world-class show jumping and Louth’s Mark McAuley claimed two podium placings.

McAuley firstly took the runner-up spot from 20 starters in the first Global Champions League individual class on Friday, a 1.60m speed competition, riding the 13-year-old stallion L’Arc En Ciel Z. The pair jumped clear in 70.16 seconds to secure the €16,000 second prize. There was no catching German winner, Philipp Weishaupt on Callao L, who stopped the clock in 67.00. Arne van Heel (NED) placed third with Keaton HV in 70.71.

Meanwhile, the first team competition (1.60m) saw 17 teams lining up and New York Empire, comprising of Tipperary’s Denis Lynch on the 17-year-old Cordial and Scott Brash on Hello Chadora Lady, took the lead, when they both jumped clear in a combined time of 155.58.

The second team competition (1.55m) saw a shift in fortunes, with Riesenbeck International finishing in first place. McAuley (Rossi VD Heffinck) joined Lynch (Mr Newman) in round two and, along with their teammate Brash, New York Empire finished fifth. The overall standings show Riesenbeck International with a clear lead on 217 points, while New York Empire sit sixth on 170.

Saturday saw Lynch and Mr Newman placing eighth in the five-star 1.45m two-phase class, when jumping double clear in a round two time of 27.67. Belgium’s Gregory Wathelet won the class with Double Jeu d’Honvault in 25.87.

McAuley finished on the podium again in the five-star 1.50m jump-off class riding Rossi vd Heffinck to a double clear in a jump-off time of 39.68 for third place. It was a close finish between the top two, when Eduardo Pereira De Menezes (BRA) on H5 Messentus PS took the win in 37.43, just ahead of Dutch runner-up Kevin Jochems on Casquetto van de Helle in 37.71.

Sunday’s LGCT Grand Prix of Valkenswaard saw Lynch and Cordial finish seventh of 40 starters. The first round produced just eight clear rounds, who proceeded to the jump-off, where five of them remained fault-free. Lynch was among three who picked up four faults second time out. Brazil’s Yuri Mansur won the class with Vitiki when double clear in a jump-off time of 37.27.

Lynch is currently in seventh place in the overall standings on 164.5, with Abdel Said (BEL) in the lead on 206 points.