A jubilant British showjumping squad lifted the Aga Khan trophy aloft after a tough afternoon of competition marked by deflated Irish team manager Robert Splaine admitting his disappointment as Ireland finished equal third with the USA.
However, Ireland’s accumulated points after eight legs of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup series have ensured qualification for the Barcelona final next month.
Rob Hoekstra’s British team of Nick Skelton, Ben Maher, Robert Smith and Scott Brash kept steady heads to secure three clear rounds in the second round to overtake the Netherlands, knocking them into second place. Shane Breen summed up the result: “The combination at fence 11 really cost us the Nations Cup because all four of us faulted at it.”
Ireland’s number one, Dermott Lennon and Loughview Lou Lou, tipped the last part of the combination, while Shane Breen and Balloon hit the second oxer and kicked out the middle element of the treble.
Stunning clear round
Conor Swail and the brilliant Lansdowne produced a stunning clear round, while Cian O'Connor and Blue Lloyd were also victims of the combination for an Irish total of four faults at the halfway stage.
Conor Swail explained: “My horse was fantastic with an opening clear, and had a rail down in the second at 11C but it was a good display on his first Superleague Nations Cup. I’m disappointed too. It’s a pity we didn’t get a clear.”
Cian O’Connor, who presented his Olympic bronze medal-winning ride Blue Lloyd to perfection in the second round, was still jinxed at the vertical fence seven, which Swail had rattled earlier.
Dermott Lennon’s second round opener produced a crowd-pleasing fault-free exhibition with Loughview Lou Lou jumping out of her skin and raising those back legs skywards, but the home crowd’s jubilation was short-lived as a deflated Shane Breen finished on eight faults again and ended up as the discard score after Swail and O’Connor hit a fence each.
Irish showjumping fans nevertheless gave the winners a huge RDS cheer and never wavered in their loyalty of Splaine’s squad.
Friendly rivalry
Nick Skelton admitted: "There is always friendly rivalry between Ireland and GB, but it is all good and we are glad to win today."
British team manager Rob Hoekstra added: “Congratulations to Alan Wade, the course builder. We knew it was a difficult track, we hadn’t had a good season, but when the boys were put under pressure they coped well and we are very proud of them.”
The best six teams in Europe Division One qualify for September’s Spanish final. Ireland earned its place in the Barcelona start list by finishing fifth place overall in the league.