THE late Tiggy Hancock was to the forefront of everyone’s mind at the Longines FEI Nations Cup competition in Sopot, Poland, last Sunday, where the Irish team finished third on the podium.

A minute’s silence before the competition marked Tiggy’s short but wonderful life, while the Irish team wore a yellow armband in her memory. Also wearing a yellow armband was Tiggy’s idol, German rider Marcus Ehning, who was on the winning German team.

In the final competition before team Ireland High Performance director Michael Blake was due to name his squad for the upcoming Tokyo Olympic Games, he selected Daniel Coyle, Alexander Butler, Eoin McMahon and Paul O’Shea as his four riders for Ireland’s second points-scoring Division 1 Nations Cup.

Conditions at the venue were tough, with temperatures reaching a scorching 33 degrees at the Baltic seaside venue. Some 1,200 spectators were permitted to attend the event, which went to the wire and was not decided until the last rider entered the ring. It was a drama-filled day with two falls, one which resulted in Britain’s William Funnell breaking his ankle which now rules him out of Olympic contention.

Ireland got off to the perfect start when Canada-based Derry rider Daniel Coyle jumped clear with Ariel Grange’s 11-year-old mare Legacy (Chippendale Z x Bon Ami). Next up was Co Meath’s Alexander Butler with the 16-year-old mare Athene (Berlin x Numero Uno), who is owned by the rider and Ger Poels, and they too were clear in the first round.

Clare’s Eoin McMahon was unlucky to pick up four faults first time out with Madeleine Winter-Schulze’s 11-year-old mare Chakra (Casall x Quidam de Revel). Representing the Ludger Beerbaum stable, McMahon did well to get her through the triple combination where she veered to the right, but faulted at the next oxer on the related distance.

With all the experience and riding in the anchor role, Paul O’Shea delivered a foot-perfect round with Frank Cunniffe and the Machu Picchu Partners-owned 14-year-old gelding Skara Glen’s Machu Picchu (Silverstone x Matterhorn).

That left Ireland on a score of zero at the half way stage, alongside Germany, Norway and Belgium, but it was a day of two halves as much changed in the second round.

Legacy looked to be jumping with ease for Coyle but just caught the back bar of the oxer at the first part of the double, before also knocking the last fence to finish on eight faults. Butler then retired with Athene, which meant Ireland had no discard score in the second round.

McMahon steadied the ship with an excellent round aboard Chakra, keeping Ireland in the running with a best possible score of eight faults. However, Skara Glen’s Machu Pichuu had an uncharacteristic rail at the second fence, before also knocking the oxer going into the double to finish on eight. That left Ireland on a total score of 16 faults.

Exciting ending

Three double clear rounds from Maurice Tebbel (Don Diarado), Christian Kukuk (Mumbai) and Andre Thieme (DSP Chakaria) left Germany on a score of zero.

The Belgians could also finish on a zero and force a jump-off if Niels Brynseels and Delux van T&L could leave the course intact when last to go. It wasn’t to be however when the oxer at fence two and the first element of the double at six, which became quite a bogey in the second round, both hit the floor. Now the four picked up by Devos would have to be counted and the German win would be clear-cut.

The Belgium team of Jos Verlooy, Nicola Philippaerts, Pieter Devos and Bruynseels finished second on four faults. Norway and Britain finished on the same score of Ireland (16), but with the fastest time, Ireland took third on the podium.

Sopot Show Director, Kaja Koczurowska Wawrzkiewicz congratulated the German team on their victory. “After two wins for Belgium we have a change this year! This show is very important for the Polish Equestrian Federation and it’s great to have the riders back in Sopot after the difficult year we have all experienced,” she said.