ONE of the many reasons eventing fans should have flocked to Millstreet last week was to see seven teams, who all completed, contest the third leg of the FEI Eventing Nations Cup series which next moves on to Strzegom, Poland.

The eight-round series is of particular significance this season as the highest-placed team after the October final in Boekelo, excluding those already qualified, will be allocated a place for next year’s summer Olympic Games in Paris.

In her Millstreet preview for this paper, Sally Parkyn wrote: “The New Zealand squad appear to hold the upper hand” and so it proved with Tim Price (Falco), Clarke Johnstone (fifth individually on Menlo Park), Jonelle Price (seventh individually with McClaren) and Sam Lissington (Ricker Ridge Sooty Gnz) topping the podium on Sunday afternoon.

While the first three riders listed jumped double clears, Lissington, who had a stop over the fixed fence, provided the discard score in this instance. However, from four rides, she had an otherwise successful event, winning a pair of two-star classes and placing seventh in the CCI4*-L on the former Alex Power-partnered Lord Seekonig.

New Zealand, who led throughout, completed on a total of 114.6 penalties ahead of Belgium (131.9) who had been lying third following dressage. With a win already under their belt in the series, theat team comprised the vastly-experienced Karin Donckers (who finished fourth individually on Fletcha van’t Verahof), Cyril Gavrilovic (Elmundo de Gasco) and Tine Magnus (Dia van het Lichterveld Z). The fourth squad member, whose score was discounted, was Jarno Verwimp riding Kyba van de Jomaheide.

On home ground, Ireland fielded a mixed quartet of experienced senior team riders and others hoping to break into that elite group.

They had mixed results too as they were lying fourth after dressage but dropped to seventh following the show jumping phase. However, with clear rounds across the country by Joseph Murphy (Calmaro), Sarah Ennis (with the fastest time on Grantstown Jackson) and Ian Cassells (Millridge Atlantis) the team finished a close-up third on 139.7. Jenny Kuehnle provided the discard score with Polly Blue Eyes who had a stop on the final leg.

“We are really proud of their performance,” said the New Zealand chef d’equipe, Sam Grffiths. “Because New Zealand doesn’t have the equivalent of a European Championship, we decided that we wanted to target a couple of Nations Cups, of which Millstreet is one, so we sent a strong contingent. It’s really good to bring the group together and practise what we need to do. We will also be hoping to do well at Aachen. It’s always really good to target an event and then deliver a really good result at that event, so we are really pleased.”