MICHAEL Blake’s Irish team finished runner-up in the $150,000 four-star Nations Cup at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Florida on Saturday night, where a young USA team claimed victory.

A total of nine teams lined out for the competition, with the best six returning for the second round over USA’s Ken Krome’s course. As usual, the ‘Irish Embassy’ was in full swing at the Wellington venue, with Irish fans turning out in droves.

Ireland started well with a clear round from Darragh Kenny and his own and Whiterock Farm’s 14-year-old Go Easy de Muze. The horse was making a comeback at this level having not jumped on a team since February 2018 following two colic operations.

Billy Twomey was next to go with his own and Sue Davies’ 11-year-old mare Lady Lou. A difficult first round saw them finish with 12 faults and the discard score. David Blake was next to go aboard Keoki, owned by Pine Hallow Farm, Gwendolyn Dvorkin and the rider. They faulted once and were just over the time to finish with five faults.

Paul O’Shea held the anchor role and produced a brilliant clear round to steady the team with Skara Glen’s Chancelloress, owned by Gerry Hayden, Michael Hayden, QBS Equestrian LLC and Skara Glen Stables.

Second round

That left Ireland on a score of five faults after the first round and in second place, just trailing the USA team of Andrew Kocher (Squirt Gun), Lucas Porter (C Hunter), Brian Moggre (MTM Vivre le Reve) and Adrienne Sternlicht (Just A Gamble).

In the second round, Kenny picked up four faults before Twomey improved to also finish with four faults. Blake returned with a perfect clear second time out, which meant Ireland would finish on 13 faults and well clear of Australia in third place. With that in mind, O’Shea opted not to return to jump again.

Both Brian Moggre (18) and Lucas Porter (22) were making their Nations Cup debuts for USA. A double clear round led Moggre to comment: “Everybody wants to jump clear their first time on the team, so for my horse to make that happen for me, I couldn’t be more thankful. It’s quite a surreal feeling. To be on the team here really meant a lot.”