Blake’s side will jump fifth of the eight competing nations, as Ireland aim for back-to-back wins in the Aga Khan Trophy at the RDS.

Aga Khan Trophy debutant Michael Duffy and Cinca 3 will be the Irish pathfinders.

Next into the Main Arena for the home nation will be another Aga Khan Trophy first timer in Mikey Pender and the Irish Sport Horse HHS Calais.

The experienced Cian O’Connor and Eve D’Ouilly will be next to jump for Ireland, while US-based Shane Sweetnam and the Irish Sport Horse James Kann Cruz will be the anchor leg.

Speaking at the team draw on Friday morning, Michael Blake said:

“I’m very confident, I have named a strong team – but there are very strong teams here.

“Michel Duffy has been on three Nations Cup teams this season with Cinca 3 and jumped five clear rounds out of six. So we will start off with him as our first rider in.

“Michael Pender has jumped in two Nations Cup and was outstanding in Rome with HHS Calais.

“We are going to put Cian in third, which some might find unusual. He’s on a new horse to him, who is less experienced, so he can go in and jump his own round without as much pressure.

“Shane is on one of the best horses in the world right now, so we’re going to let him carry the weight of the world and put him in last.”

The eight nations competing for the Aga Khan Trophy will jump in the following order:

1. Mexico
2. The Netherlands
3. Spain
4. Great Britain
5. Ireland
6. Belgium
7. France
8. Switzerland

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The Irish Show Jumping team will bid to defend the title they won at the RDS last year. This season, Ireland has placed second last week’s five-star Nations Cup in Hickstead, and earlier in the season achieved wins in Rome and Langley, Canada.

Speaking ahead of the Dublin Horse Show, which begins on Wednesday and runs until Sunday, Michael Blake said:

“We have had a very good year so far. We bring forward a very strong squad, who have displayed excellent Nations Cup form this year. There are some strong teams for this year’s renewal of the Aga Khan Trophy, but I am confident that we have an equally strong team. We have the added advantage of the amazing support from the home fans.

The squad in alphabetical order is:

• Daniel Coyle riding Legacy, owned by Ariel Grange and Daniel Coyle.
• Michael P Duffy riding Cinca 3, owned by Hibernian Sport Horses Ltd.
• Cian O’Connor riding Eve D’ouilly, owned by Nicole Walker.
• Michael Pender riding HHS Calais, owned by Bravo Hughes Ltd.
• Shane Sweetnam riding James Kann Cruz, owned by Gizmo Partners LLC.

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The Michael Blake-managed team produced six clear rounds, including three from Conor Swail and Count Me In to lift the famous equestrian cup for the first time since 2015.

In the seven-nation event, Ireland had been drawn sixth to jump, with Swail and Count Me In operating as pathfinders for the side.

In an exciting opening round, Blake’s side produced three clear rounds, from Swail (Count Me In), Shane Sweetnam (James Kann Cruz) and Cian O’Connor (Kilkenny).

The other member of the team, eighteen-year-old Max Wachman riding Berlux Z, had just one fence down in the first round.

Ireland ended the opening round on a zero score, followed by France and Switzerland on four faults each respectively.

Marc Dilasser (Aristo Du Gevres) and Edward Levy (Uno De Cerisy) produced clear rounds for Henk Nooren’s side, while Steve Guerdat (Dynamix De Belheme) and Martin Fuchs (Cardano CH) did likewise for the Swiss.

Netherlands and Belgium were next after round one, each on 12 faults, while USA and Norway (who were competing in The Aga Khan Trophy for the first time) each recorded scores of 20 opening round faults.

Second Round

France began round 2 with three clear rounds and with two of the first three Swiss riders both faulting at the water, France would finish on a worst-possible score of 4 faults.

Count Me In and Conor Swail went clear in round two while Max Wachman had the final part of the treble down.

Just as Cork rider Shane Sweetnam and James Kann Cruz looked to be heading for a double clear round, a pole fell at the last, meaning Ireland would need their anchor leg combination of Cian O’Connor and Kilkenny to go clear in order to force a jump-off with the French.

The Irish combination duly obliged in order to force a jump-off over a shorter course.

Massive clear round from Cian O'Connor to send Ireland to a jump-off against France for the Aga Khan trophy at the @DublinHorseShow
https://t.co/XnOP6grnB7 pic.twitter.com/pWMtHbNq2y

— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) August 19, 2022

Both Ireland and France opted for their original pathfinders, Conor Swail and Marc Dilasser, to contest the jump-off, as both had produced double-clear rounds during the competition.

With Dilasser and Aristo Du Gevres going clear in a time of 31.81 seconds, the pressure was now on the Irish combination, not alone to go clear, but to do so in a faster time.

Conor Swail and Count Me In beat the French time in the jump-off to deliver the Aga Khan Trophy to Ireland @RDS @DublinHorseShow
https://t.co/XnOP6grnB7 pic.twitter.com/xYuiDgHPtk

— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) August 19, 2022

Swail and Count Me In produced their third clear round of the competition, just as the French combination had moments earlier, but the Irish representatives went clear in a faster time of 30.31 seconds, winning the Longines Nations Cup of Ireland for The Aga Khan Perpetual Trophy for the home nation.

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Pender, partnering the Marion Hughes-owned and bred mare Irish Sport Horse HHS Fortune, won The Speed Derby for the award of the Paul Darragh Perpetual Memorial Trophy. The winning combination were two second ahead of Tyrone’s Niamh McEvoy with Aconzina PS. Trevor Breen took third spot with Gonzalo in a class where Ireland filled the first five places.

The Anglesea Stakes went to Egyptian Nayel Nassar with Coronado. Ireland’s anchor in Friday’s Longines Nations Cup of Ireland, Cian O’Connor, finished as runner-up with his World Championship mount C Vier 2.

The combination were just over half a second behind the winner in the 14-horse jump-off, where nine of the jump-off combinations were representing Ireland. Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat finished third with Albfuehren’s Maddox.

Tomorrow’s, and the week’s highlight, is the Longines Nations Cup of Ireland for the award of the Aga Khan Perpetual Trophy.

Details on Ireland’s Nations Cup team can be found here.

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First held in 1864, Ireland’s greatest equestrian festival returns after a break of three years.

The highlight of the showjumping week will be Friday afternoon’s Longines Nations Cup of Ireland for the award of The Aga Khan Challenge Trophy.

Action in the Main Arena begins today with the Speed Stakes, the first International Competition of this year’s show.

The Minerva Stakes, another International Competition will get underway at 1.40, while the third and final International Showjumping Competition in the Main Arena on Wednesday, The Sport Ireland Classic, starts at 3.40pm.

Approximately 1,600 horses and ponies will compete in more than 168 classes and competitions; 84 showing classes, 32 performance classes, 35 national showjumping competitions and 15 international showjumping competitions. The total prize fund for this year’s show is in excess of €1.2 million.

Show programme information as well as ticket details can be accessed here.

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The Aga Khan, which takes place on Friday, 9 August 2022, will be Ireland’s fourth and final points-scoring round of the 2022 season in Europe Division 1.

The competition will be broadcast live as part of RTÉ Sport’s coverage of the Dublin Horse Show at the RDS, which runs from August 17th to 21st.

The Irish squad members are as follows:

Wexford’s Bertram Allen
Meath’s Cian O’Connor
Down’s Conor Swail
Cork’s Shane Sweetnam
Tipperary’s Max Wachman

Irish showjumping team manager Michael Blake said:

“We are very much looking forward to the Aga Khan, it is always a very important and special Nations Cup for us, even more so this year as we have missed Dublin Horse Show due to Covid for the last two years. It is always a huge privilege to compete on home soil and I’m very optimistic of a good result with what I believe is a very strong squad.”

Following the Longines FEI Nations Cup of Ireland at the Dublin Horse Show, the top seven teams on the league table will qualify for the Nations Cup final in Barcelona.

The teams who finish in eighth, ninth and tenth places on the table will be relegated to the EEF Series for 2023.

Five teams, (France, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway and Switzerland) will compete for Nations Cup points in Dublin. The USA and Brazil will also compete in Dublin but will not be eligible for points.

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