THE Irish Show Jumping team of Bertram Allen, Cian O’Connor, Tom Wachman and Shane Sweetnam managed by Jessica Kürten, finished as runners-up in the five-star Longines League Of Nations at Ocala, Florida in the USA in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Ireland were drawn sixth to jump of the ten teams taking part and they got off to the perfect start when Wexford’s Bertram Allen delivered a clear as first to go for the Irish with Qonquest de Rigo. That was followed by a second Irish clear from Meath’s Cian O’Connor with Chatolinue PS, before Tipperary’s Tom Wachman finished with one fence down for four faults aboard Tabasco de Toxandria Z.

Cork’s Shane Sweetnam was last to go for Ireland in the first round with the Patrick Connolly-bred CSF James Kann Cruz (ISH). A flawless clear from the pair meant Ireland could discard Wachman’s four faults and Ireland would hold the lead as the only team on a zero score at the halfway stage.

The biggest surprise from the first round came from the home team USA, who were bidding to win on home soil in Ocala for the second year in-a-row. Their first rider Lillie Keenan was eliminated with Argan de Beliard and that meant a 33 fault score form their third rider Laura Kraut had to be counted putting the Americans out of contention.

The second round got underway with the LLN format of three riders per team and all scores to count, and an eight fault score from Bertram Allen second time out dropped the Irish down to fourth place at that stage. However when Cian O’Connor then completed a double clear performance, Ireland were back in the hunt for victory, tied for second place with Belgium on eight faults and just a fence behind leaders Germany with the last line riders to jump. Anchor rider Shane Sweetnam also jumped a hugely impressive double clear and that would give Ireland a runner-up finish on a score of eight faults.

A flawless second round from the Germans, where all three of their riders jumped clear would prove decisive, as they would take victory on a two round score of four faults, while Belgium took third spot on the podium with a final score of 12 faults.

Ireland now sit in third place on the Longines League Of Nations table heading into the third leg of the series at Rotterdam in The Netherlands in mid June.

BREEDING

CSF James Kann Cruz (ISH) – 2013 gelding by Kannan out of CSF Telly Cruz by Cruising, bred by Patrick Connolly owned by Gizmo partners LLC. Ridden by Shane Sweetnam.