RODRIGO Pessoa’s Irish team produced a fantastic Nations Cup performance to take another podium place finish in the sixth round of the Division 1 FEI Nations Cup in Falsterbo, Sweden, yesterday afternoon.

In an all-important points scoring round for Ireland, the team of Shane Sweetnam, Cian O’Connor, Mark McAuley and Denis Lynch secured third place after a three-way jump-off, on a day when Switzerland, Sweden, Germany, The Netherlands and Italy were all competing for points.

Speaking afterwards, Pessoa said: “I am really satisfied with our performance today. We were right up there in contention up to the end with good rounds from all our riders. It was really good to have three clears on the board in the first round meaning Denis [Lynch] did not have to jump.

“It was the correct decision to pick Denis for the jump-off, he jumped a very good round when last to go and the jump-off course really suited his horse with such a long stride. We would of course have preferred to win but second or third is good. It is all very positive, we were able to match some very strong teams here today.”

It was all to fight for after round one when Ireland and The Netherlands were out in front with zero faults. Only one fence split the top five teams as Sweden, Germany and the USA were all on four faults. Fourteen of the 31 riders, almost 50% of the field, jumped clear in the first round over Frank Rothenberger’s 1.60m track.

Shane Sweetnam got Ireland off to the dream start aboard Spy Coast Farm’s Chaqui Z (Chacco Blue x Quinar Z). The 11-year-old Zangersheide stallion cantered around the 1.60m course at ease to record a clean sheet.

Cian O’Connor followed with Ian O’ Grady, Philippe de Balander and Ronnoco Jump Ltd’s Callisto (Quasimodo Z x Jokinal de Bornival). O’Connor showed the strength and depth in his current string of horses, with his top mount Good Luck not competing at the Swedish venue, to complete another foot perfect round.

Mark McAuley continued his superb run back up at this level and on this occasion rode Eva Lundin’s Miebello (Flying Quite Easy 958 x Cardento 933) to a clear round. It was the 13-year-old gelding’s first appearance in a Nations Cup for Team Ireland and he never looked like touching a pole to ensure Ireland finished the first round on a score of zero.

Denis Lynch, as Ireland’s last line rider, chose not to start, keeping Thomas Straumann’s All Star 5 fresh for the second round of jumping.

SECOND ROUND

Sweetnam produced Ireland’s only double clear, one of six in the competition, before O’Connor was unlucky to knock the first part of the double after the open water, when struggling to get Callisto back underneath him.

McAuley also came home on four faults, throwing the competition wide open, with four teams still in the running going into the last line of riders.

Denis Lynch and the wonderful All Star 5 (Argentinus x Alme), with the pressure of the team heaped on their shoulders, navigated their way around clear to help Ireland finish on four faults, equal with Germany and The Netherlands, forcing a three-way jump-off.

Pessoa selected Lynch to return for the jump-off. The combination posted a brilliant round but a tight turn back to the double resulted in four faults in a time of 46.65 when second to go.

Germany’s Markus Beerbaum was clear with Comanche 28 in 47.80, but Dutchman Jur Vrieling saved the best for last, breaking the beam clear in 46.35 to secure an important win for The Netherlands who were last on the leader board before Falsterbo.

It was a special day for the husband and wife combination of Markus Beerbaum and Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum who joined one another on a German team for the first time in 13 years, both jumping double clear. And their student, America’s Chloe Reid, was also double clear for Team USA with the Irish Sport Horse Codarco, bred in Co Galway by Tomas O’Brien.

Ireland picked up 80 points for third place, moving them to an overall total of 290, equal with The Netherlands in sixth place, with two points scoring legs to go in Hickstead and Dublin.

Italy finished in sixth place with nine faults, and hold their lead at the top of the table, with the USA and Sweden in equal fifth.

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