IN the year of UK negotiating its split from the European Union, the long-lasting winning partnership between British riders and Irish-bred horses has flourished again, as proved by the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials results two weeks’ ago. And Kentucky and Badminton, too.

In fact, all three of eventing’s Grand Slam fixtures this year were won by Irish-breds: Cooley Master Class (Land Rover Kentucky Horse Trials); Vanir Kamira (Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials) and now the Burghley (MGH Grafton Street).