THE Irish Senior Show Jumping team had a fifth place finish in the CSIO3* Nations Cup at Vejer de la Frontera, Spain, on Friday afternoon, October 27.

Billy Twomey with Diego Del Caribe, Tom Wachman with Berlux Z, Niamh McEvoy with the Irish Sport Horse Templepatrick Welcome Limmerick and Cian O’Connor with Maurice, making his Nations Cup debut for Ireland, made up Michael Blake’s team. At the end of the two rounds, the team finished on a total score of 12.

There were 15 nations taking part in the competition, with Ireland being drawn last to jump. At the halfway point, the Irish were still in contention, after McEvoy and O’Connor both achieved brilliant clear rounds within the time allowed.

Unfortunately, Wachman knocked a fence to put Ireland on four faults at the break, along with five other teams. First to go, Twomey had two down in the first round, so his eight fault score was discarded.

In the second round, Twomey was first out again for Ireland and added four faults, as did Wachman, but Twomey’s slightly faster time meant that Wachman was the discard score for the second round.

McEvoy also had an unlucky pole down with Robin Bingham’s 13-year-old bay mare Templepatrick Welcome Limmerick by Limmerick (HOLST) out of Go Luckey (ISH) by Lux Z (HANN), bred by Dorothea Wilson.

O’Connor and Maurice, an 11-year-old bay gelding, came into the arena and jumped another foot-perfect clear round, giving them one of only seven double clears among the eight teams who got through to the jump-off. This left Ireland on a final score of 12 and in fifth place.

Following the competition, O’Connor said: “I’m delighted with Maurice in our first Nations Cup together.

“I’m also very pleased for my co-owner Pat Crean and I’m grateful for his support – I now head to Monterey, Mexico, in two weeks’ time with Maurice, Clown and Highland President – which I’m really looking forward to.”

The host nation Spain finished on four faults, as did France, which required the two teams to have a jump-off. There was great excitement from the home crowd as Spain’s Teresa Blazquez-Abascal jumped clear on board the 10-year-old chesnut mare Nasa de Toxandria (Vertigo Saint-Benoit x Chopin van het Moleneind). Marie Demonte on board nine-year-old chesnut mare Epona du Quesnoy (Ogrion des Champs x Nabab de Reve) then entered the arena to jump for France, but lowered a pole, so it was a home victory for Spain.

The USA finished in third place on a total score of eight faults; Belgium placed fourth on 12 faults, just ahead of Ireland in fifth, also on 12. Great Britain took sixth place on a final score of 24; Italy were seventh on 25, while Switzerland finished in eighth on 29 faults.

Meanwhile, individually at the same venue on Thursday, October 26, Tom Wachman rode 14-year-old chesnut mare Cathalina (Catoki x Sandro Z) into third place in a 1.50m class.