NATIONS' CUP:A HARMONIOUS squad put on a powerful performance in an RDS arena bathed in sunshine yesterday to take a creditable second place in the Samsung Super League with FEI Ireland Nations' Cup.
Some of the world's most talented horses and riders were on show from Britain, the winners, and runners-up Ireland.
The British team - Peter Charles on Murka's Rupert R, Tim Gredley on Omelli, veteran Robert Smith on Vangelis S and Nick Skelton on Arko III - won the Aga Khan trophy with 14 penalties to collect €52,000.
Only five points separated Britain and Ireland at the end, with Ireland's squad of Denis Lynch, Eddie Macken, Jessica Kürten and Cian O'Connor collecting €34,000. Germany was well behind on 24 penalty points.
Ireland is now ranked fifth in the 2008 Samsung Super League and champing at the bit to do battle in the final next month in Barcelona.
British chef d'equipe David Broome said: "I am exhausted after that. I must congratulate the home team, they came very strong at the end and scared the pants off us.
"We were waiting quietly for them. For me it's a great time, you do Nations' Cups so well here with so much history over the years."
However, Irish chef d'equipe Robert Splaine was disappointed with the first-round Irish scores.
Lynch on Nabab's Son romped home with a copybook clear round and one time fault, while Macken tipped three fences and had two time penalties.
They delivered that elusive clear round for the RDS spectators which was necessary for a top place as Ireland began its onslaught in the second round.
Kürten held the plan together as third team rider to jump with the leggy bay mare Castle Forbes Libertina, which had her ears pricked and was going great guns but for tipping one fence.
O'Connor, with his new horse Rancorrado, will want to banish memories of his first round after a refusal as well as knocking one over and incurring two time penalties.
It wasn't O'Connor's day, but Rancorrado is a big team player and cannot be ruled out of the squad for Barcelona and future World Cup qualifiers.
Britain led the first round of the competition with seven penalties. Former Irish rider Peter Charles jumped a classic clear round, gaining a time penalty on his new horse Murka's Rupert R.
Newmarket rider Gredley, who is trained by Stephen Smith, son of Harvey, finished on five penalties. However, the big danger was Skelton on Arko, who seemed to enjoy the Ballsbridge crowd and gave an excellent performance with just one time fault.
The US were second at half time on eight penalties, ahead of the Netherlands on 12, while Belgium and Ireland occupied fourth place with 16 penalties each. Sweden was a close sixth with 17 penalty points, ahead of Germany on 21 and Switzerland lagging behind on 25.
There was a great feel-good factor to this year's Nations' Cup, aided by the brightly coloured fences, the splashes of colour from flowers around the arena and the newly-erected grandstand.
The Nations' Cup squad have been focused all week, with lots of communication with their manager and helping each other.
Lynch is Ireland's real hope of a medal in Hong Kong - which is hosting the Olympics equestrian sports - and could win the Global Champions Tour final this year at Athena Onassis' show in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
As the band played and the sun shone, the crowds stayed for the prize-giving as GB once again snatched the Aga Khan trophy.
Everyone was proud of the squad, and agreed that the two teams, consisting of millions of euro of horse flesh, were probably better than some of the Olympic squads already in Hong Hong.