THE Irish squad took seventh place in last weekend’s Nations Cup at the three-star show in Lisbon, Portugal, where victory went to a dominant Spanish team. Two of the Irish team - Jack Dodd and Jack Donoghue - were having their very first CSIO call up.

Irish chef d’equipe Robert Splaine said: “Six riders made the long journey to Portugal for the 96th Horse Show at Hipódromo Do Campo Grande in the centre of the city of Lisbon. Capt Geoff Curran, Jack Dodd, Jack Donoghue, Michael G Duffy, Marion Hughes and Thomas Ryan made up the squad. The experience of competing in one of the finest grass arenas in the world with the second round of the Nations Cup run under lights, should not be underestimated and even though we didn’t achieve a noteworthy result on this occasion, two riders on the squad were having their first CSIO call up. The highlight for us was a clear round by Capt Geoff Curran on the Minister Of Defence’s Ringwood Glen (ISH).