SHOWJUMPING:NICK SKELTON was hobbling on crutches at last year's Dublin show, but a hip operation over the winter was part of the reason he returned to deliver a devastating blow to Ireland as his third round of faultless horsemanship clinched the 25th Aga Khan gold trophy for Britain.
Only a fence meant the difference between the trophy and runner up slot as Britain collected their cheque for €64,000 in a glorious day of competition, which saw packed grandstands and thousands of spectators riveted by the electric atmosphere.
At the halfway stage Ireland looked set for a possible win as they led the competition for a short time. A hush fell over the arena as each Irish rider put their horse through its paces, with Shane Sweetnam and Nicola Fitzgibbon particularly extracting roof raising applause from the ecstatic Irish supporters.
The FEI Nations Cup competition remains one of the major social dates of the year and was a resounding sporting success as Ireland and their old rivals battled it out in a third-round jump-off when Skelton and Billy Twomey went head to head.
With a third clear from Skelton, produced in his usual steely-focused manner, it was enough to put Twomey under pressure to clip a fence on his athletic mare, Tinka’s Serenade.
Britain may have won by a fence, but the performance of Irish riders was second to none, as two new faces Sweetnam from Kanturk and Fitzgibbon from Dublin impressed selectors as possible new riders for this year’s European championship team in Madrid.
Skelton was so despondent after the first round, thinking his team had no chance, that he popped into the pocket bar for some cider.
“Today was very special to me. I didn’t think at half time we had a chance so I had a pint of Bulmers and watched the class.
“Carlos had a bad time in Aachen, he hated the show and lost 20 kilos but I hope he goes to Madrid and next year London.”
Rob Hoekstra, the British team’s chef d’equipe, added: “Alan Wade did an unbelievable track, it was a classic Nations Cup track and was fantastic for the public to watch.”
As Sweetnam delivered a double clear with Amaretto Darco, there was a whoop from the family including his wife Alison and father Jerry.
“I had a tear in my eye when Shane produced the clears. The family in Kanturk and Cork have been texting madly and watching it live. We are very proud of Shane, it has been a lifelong ambition to be on the Aga Khan team,” his wife Alison said.”
The Nations Cup kicked off with a clear from the svelte Penelope Leprevost from France with her grey stallion My Lord Carthago. Clears came thick and fast, but course builder Alan Wade knew the lamppost upright over a water tray would be the bogey fence following the triple combination.
This fence, followed by a right turn over planks, caught out many riders, and the atmosphere was tense, created by the clever course design of Wade, whose father Tommy was a former team chef d’equipe.
Fitzgibbon is now a strong contender for the European team in Madrid and is on the long list.