IRISH riders travelled to the spectacular X-Bionic Sphere in Šamorín, Slovakia last weekend where they picked up multiple placings.

It was a one-two for Ireland on Thursday when Mayo’s Ciaran Nallon took the win in the CSIYH1* seven-year-old class. Riding Cameron Hanley’s Showoff AF Z, he clocked the winning clear round in 59.03.

Harry Allen took the runner-up place with Athena when he also kept the poles in place in a time of 62.25. Further down the line in fifth place was Anna Duff with her father Brian’s home-bred BEC Infrared (Diamant de Semilly x Luidam), clear in 68.24.

In the three-star Grand Prix qualifier on Thursday, Harry Allen took a seventh place finish when he answered all the questions aboard Calculatus in a time of 72.38.

Allen was back in the line-up on Friday, taking fourth place in the CSIYH1* six-year-old 1.25m. Riding Kumina Della Caccia, he recorded a clear in 40.68.

One place behind was Anna Duff and BEC Red Arrow, who was also clear but in a slower time of 41.16. BEC Red Arrow is another Irish Sport Horse bred by Brian Duff, this one by Cinsey out of the Luidam mare Drumagoland Luidam.

Allen returned to take the runner-up spot in the CSIYH1* seven-year-old class on Friday with Athena, when clear on 38.12.

Riding Big Blue 3, Nallon was fifth in Friday’s seven-year-old 1.35m final, and on Saturday, he was joint-fourth in the three-star 1.35m with Fifty Shades of Grey after clocking the exact same time as Austria’s Christoph Obernauer (Kleons Cocario). They were both clear in 37.70 seconds.