LIMERICK-born Shane Carey was in action at the two-star show at Scherwin in Germany last weekend and he scored a superb win and a third place finish in a productive week for the Irishman.

Carey’s victory came in last Saturday’s 1.45m jump-off class, where he beat off 57 fellow competitors with the stallion Contenance 15, a 10-year-old by Cornet Obolensky out of a Darco dam.

A massive 22 horses and riders made it through to the jump-off, with 12 of those managing to jump clear again in the second round. A brilliant effort from former army rider Carey, saw him cross the line clear in 32.75 seconds – the only combination to break the 33-second barrier. Germany’s Jorg Oppermann came closest to catching Carey. He came home in 33.04 with Che Guevara 17 to finish as runner-up. Another German rider, Jana Wargers, finished third with Caspar.

Carey had earlier finished third in another 1.45m class last Friday in Scherwin, once again riding Contenance. The one round speed class saw Carey cross the line in 51.24 to claim a podium finish. Germany’s Niklas Krieg, fresh from a win in his first ever World Cup the previous week at Leipzig, took top honours again, this time riding the Acorado-sired Ayers Rock. Benjamin Wulschner, son of German rider Holger Wulschner, finished second with the For Pleasure gelding Casetti.

Carey and Contenance finished the week with another top 10 finish, taking ninth place in Sunday’s curtain-closing 1.45m Grand Prix. A single fence on the floor in the opening round denied them a place in the jump-off but their time of 60.24 saw them finish as the fastest of the four faulters. Victory went to Germany’s Lars Nieberg with the Casall stallion Casallora who produced the only double clear round of the competition. Eoin Ryan was in action for Ireland in the one-star classes at Schwerin and he scored a win last Wednesday in a 1.25m class with Cassandra Von Aschenbeck.