IRELAND finished in sixth place in the opening European Division one FEI Nations Cup of 2017 at Lummen yesterday (Friday), where victory went to the FEI Nations Cup defending champions Germany.

In a three-way jump-off with Belgium and France, the German team of Andre Thieme (Conthendrix), Maurice Tebbel (Chaccos’ Son), Holger Wulschner (BSC Skipper) and Mario Stevens (Baloubet) landed victory with a team total of eight faults.

Italy, Germany, Sweden, France, and newly-promoted Spain were competing for points in Lummen, while Ireland, Switzerland and hosts Belgium also lined out but were not eligible for points.

On his first outing as chef d’equipe, Rodrigo Pessoa fielded a young team, with Michael Duffy, Richard Howley and Paul Kennedy, who were all making their Super League Nations Cup debut, joined by former World Champion Dermott Lennon.

Pessoa said afterwards: “We expected some difficulties with three riders making their first appearance at this level and overall, I am very happy with how the riders performed. Dermott Lennon sustained an injury a few weeks ago and was somewhat diminished today in what he could do. Richard [Howley] had two good rounds with just four faults in each. Paul [Kennedy] rode really well and had a really good clear in the second round. Michael [Duffy] had a great clear first time out and really didn’t do anything wrong in the second.”

France were the only team to complete the first round on a zero score to lead the way thanks to clear rounds from Cédric Angot (Saxo de la Cour), Maelle Martin (Giovani de la Pomme) and Penelope Leprevost (Ratina d’La Rousserie).

Dermott Lennon was first to go for Ireland with Judith Sossick’s 15-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare Loughview Lou Lou. The combination finished with three fences on the ground for a total of 12 faults in the first round.

On his debut, Sligo’s Richard Howley (24) jumped a super round and looked to be home with a clean sheet before faulting at the middle part of the combination, which caused trouble all day long, with Mr and Mrs Aitkenhead’s Chinook for four faults.

Limerick’s Paul Kennedy (23) was unlucky to knock the second fence on the course before producing an otherwise perfect round to also complete the first round with four faults on his homebred Irish Sport Horse mare Cartown Danger Mouse. When Ireland were badly in need of a clear round, Galway’s Michael Duffy (22) produced just that with a fantastic round aboard Alan Burnell’s 11-year-old Belcanto Z. That left Ireland on a team total of eight faults after the first round, lying in equal fifth place with Switzerland.

France were out in front on zero, while Belgium and Germany both finished round one on four faults.

SECOND ROUND

Lennon improved the second time out, but a foot in the water and the middle part of the combination meant he finished with eight faults. The water proved influential in round two, and Chinook also left a toe on the tape for Howley to finish with four faults, despite clearing all the uprights.

Kennedy corrected his single mistake from the first round to return with a clean sheet with the Harlequin du Carel-sired 11-year-old mare Cartown Danger Mouse, owned by Kennedy’s mother Jane.

It didn’t go as smoothly for Duffy and Belcanto Z second time out. Approaching the final line on four faults, the middle part of the combination once again proved difficult and they broke the beam with eight faults, leaving Ireland on a team total of 20 and in sixth place on the leaderboard.

Things began to unravel for France when Angot and Bernard Briand Chevalier both had a fence down and Martin returned with 12 faults second time out.

It came down to the last three riders and Belgium’s Jerome Guery faulted once, as did Mario Stevens to leave Belgium and Germany tied on eight faults.

The pressure was heaped on Leprevost, who never looked like putting a foot wrong with Ratina d’La Rousserie to force the three-way jump-off.

Pieter Devos was first to go in the timed round for the home side but a refusal going into the double saw him finish with four faults in a slow time of 51.76 seconds.

Andre Thieme and Conthendrix followed for the champions and left nothing to chance with a blistering round, breaking the beam in 39.75 seconds.

Leprevost gave it her all on the 12-year-old mare and completed with a triple clear, but was just behind Thieme’s time in 40.47, to take the runner-up position. Italy finished in fourth place (14 faults), ahead of Switzerland (16) in fifth.