The Germans reigned supreme in the rain at the RDS yesterday, sweeping to victory in the Aga Khan Cup and then nearly wiping out an entire swathe of the Army pipe band on their lap of honour. Grania Willisreports.
Team Ireland put in a great challenge and looked set for second place, but were overhauled by the Americans at the finish and eventually slid to a share of third with Switzerland.
The Irish had got off to a perfect start, with Capt Shane Carey producing an immaculate round from the 10-year-old River Foyle for the first clear of the day.
The script then went slightly awry when Cameron Hanley and SIEC Concept hit two and picked up a time fault for nine faults, but the campaign was back on track when Aga Khan debutant Conor Swail was clear all the way to the very last fence, only for Rivaal to trail off the front rail for an unlucky four.
The Germans had already banked two clears, but both their last two riders returned fours to give the opposition a glimmer of hope. When Comdt Gerry Flynn left all the fences standing with the lovely mare Mo Chroí for a single time fault, the Irish were adrift of the leading German quartet by just that one fault at the break.
The American Amazons - the only all-female team - were level-pegging on eight faults with the Netherlands. The Swiss were still in the picture in fifth on 13.
The Swedes, currently last in the Super League standings and staring relegation in the face at the final in Barcelona next month, were struggling at the rear of the pack after their third rider was eliminated. The British also had one eliminated when Robert Whitaker's Lacroix refused to turn back to the last fence, to leave them in sixth at the halfway stage.
It was like watching an action replay when the 24-year-old suffered exactly the same fate in the second round as Lacroix once again jammed on the brakes coming to the last.
There was drama for the Dutch, too, when their second man out, Henk van de Pol, executed an unscheduled flying dismount to land in a jumble of poles after Dan 7-T stopped at the double and he became another rider to hear the hooter signalling an early end to his round.
The German march continued unabated, however, with their first rider Thomas Voss clear for just a time fault. Although number two Thomas Muhlbauer hit the second last, Holger Wulschner was clear and there was no need for Heinrich Hermann-Engemann to jump - the Germans couldn't be beaten.
The rest were left to battle it out for second, but the Irish challenge faded in the rain as Carey, Swail and Flynn all returned fours to allow the American women to leapfrog ahead of the hosts to claim second, leaving Ireland sharing third with the Swiss.
President Mary McAleese was escorted under a shroud of umbrellas to present the gold Aga Khan trophy to German team manager Sonke Sonksson.
But as the strains of the German national anthem faded in the downpour, there was still more drama to come.
Hermann-Engemann led the team off on the victory gallop and the four riders were all looking up at the stands, waving to the cheering crowds, unaware that the Army pipe band was marching in formation straight across their path as they hurtled round the arena.
Staunch in the face of incoming fire, the pipe band never faltered as the German quartet managed to drag their horses to a halt.
The Army band was shaken and considerably stirred, but the only damage was to the new turf, with dramatic skid marks the only witness to a seriously close shave.