According to equiratings, Tipperary rider Denis Lynch has jumped five clears from six round in this class since 2012 and has most podium finishes with three during this time.

Sligo’s Richard Howley won the Cashel Palace Hotel Stakes last year with Equine America Consulet de Prelet Z. His winning margin was 2.33 seconds.

Other Irish riders to have tasted success in this class since 2012 include in 2018 Shane Sweetnam with Indra van de Oude Heihoef; 2017 Bertram Allen with Izzy by Picobello; 2015 Paul O’Shea and Skara Glen’s Machu Picchu and 2012 Alexander Butler aboard Will Wimble.

Equiratings rate the following as the top-three contenders for today’s Cashel Palace Hotel Stakes: Kevin Staut [FRA] with Beau de Laubry Z, Conor Swail [IRL] and Count Me In and Ben Maher [GBR] and Point Break

The French combination arrive in Dublin following a five-star Grand Prix success at Dinard, which earned a prize of €125,000. Their career best performance together was their last outing in July.

Conor Swail and Count Me In were the home heroes in the Nations Cup of Ireland two years ago. At 17 years of age, Count Me In is the joint-oldest horse in the field today. His last three rounds at today’s height of 160cm were all clear.

Briton Ben Maher and his original Olympic horse Point Break, have the second highest expected round one clear chance (56%), according to equiratings, behind Conor Swail and Count Me In (57%). The British combination have already jumped 10 five-star 160 clears from just 18 career attempts.

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The visitor denied two of Ireland’s Aga Khan Trophy-winning combinations from Friday, Conor Swail with Count Me In and Shane Sweetnam with the Irish Sport Horse James Kann Cruz as they filled second and third places respectively.

Ireland’s Andrew Bourns and the Irish Sport Horse Sea Topblue were fourth while French combination Megane Moissonnier and Cordial were fifth.

Ireland’s Rhys Williams and the 7-year-old Playboy JT Z took the International 7 & 8 year-old competition. Tipperary’s Denis Lynch with Dark Chocolate took the runner-up spot, while Jason Higgins and Heritage MBF came third.

Kildare’s Mikey Pender achieved yet another RDS win on Sunday when winning the six-year-old ‘Cruising’ National Championship with HHS Rose. Leah Stack and Laurina won the 5-Year-Old ‘Flexible’ National Championship.

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Swail and Count Me In jumped three clear rounds during the competition proper and the jump-off that following to give the home side a first victory in the competition since 2015.

“This is my first time (winning) also like Shane (Sweetnam). This is my third Aga Khan,” Swail explained. “It’s fantastic. As an Irish rider it’s something that is a lifetime goal – thankfully I have achieved that. The horse (Count Me In) has jumped like that all year – it was no surprise whatsoever – he is so fast.”

Ireland team manager Michael Blake quipped “it has not been a bad six days” referring to Friday’s victory and Ireland qualifying for the Paris Olympic Games earlier this week.

The Clare man explained that he was very confident coming into today’s Longines Nations Cup of Ireland:

“Coming here I thought we had a very very good chance – I felt it was ours to lose. We started off really really well and then had a few uncharacteristic mistakes. There was a little pressure on us. Conor (Swail) was just amazing. He asked me could he be on the Aga Khan team earlier in the year.”

Kanturk, Co Cork-native Shane Sweetnam who jumped clear with The Irish Sport Horse James Kann Cruz in the first round, said:

“He jumped special in the first round, especially when it was raining – he knew he was home! Then in the second round, a little mistake – obviously I made it myself.”

For the US-based rider, it was also a first Aga Khan win:

“It’s great to win. This was my fourth Aga Khan and it has always been a dream to win The Aga Khan, so I’m thrilled, thrilled with the horse and thrilled with my team members.”

It was certainly a dream come true for eighteen-year-old Tipperary rider Max Wachman, winning his first Aga Khan Trophy in his first outing in the Longines Nations Cup of Ireland.

“It’s a dream come true,” Wachman said. “It’s something I’ve dreamed of since I was about ten years old. To be on a team with such brilliant riders is amazing. I’m just thrilled. He (Berlux Z) is eleven years old, he’s a very experienced horse and he’s a good horse and he jumped good today.”

The presentation – @PresidentIrl presents the Aga Khan trophy to Ireland's Chef d'Equipe Michael Blake at the @DublinHorseShow #rtesport pic.twitter.com/EbcNhaNqcg

— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) August 19, 2022

Meath’s Cian O’Connor, Ireland’s anchor leg rider yet again, spoke highly during the winners’ press conference about his Irish Sport Horse Kilkenny.

“I was thrilled with him. I couldn’t be happier. It’s like when the bell goes and you head down to the first fence on a big rhythm and it just feels like he owns the ring. All I have to do is not get in his way and not make a mistake. It was really just good fun riding him around there.”

Winning The Aga Khan Perpetual Trophy is always special for all Irish riders. Team manager Michael Blake best summed up what winning the home Nations Cup means in front of the RDS crowd:

“The crowd so understand the sport and it means so much to them, and it means so much to us. We win plenty Nations Cup but this is an extra stratosphere.”

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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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The Irish team, managed by Clare’s Michael Blake, has been drawn second last to jump in the seven-team competition with round one getting underway at 3pm. The second round will begin at 4.30pm.

USA will be the first team to enter the Main Arena at the RDS, followed by Norway, Brazil, Netherlands, France, Ireland and Switzerland.

Team Ireland will jump in the following order:

Down’s Conor Swail with Count Me In will be the pathfinders for Michael Blake’s side.

Tipperary’s Max Wachman with Coolmore Showjumping’s Berlux Z will be the next Irish combination into the Main Arena.

The penultimate combination will be US-based Corkman Shane Sweetnam with The Irish Sport Horse James Kann Kruz.

Former Olympic medallist, Meath’s Cian O’Connor, will take the anchor leg for Ireland with another Irish Sport Horse, Kilkenny.

Ireland will be among five teams competing for Longines Nations Cup points in the RDS Main Arena tomorrow.

Dublin is also a scoring event for France, Netherlands, Norway and Switzerland. USA and Brazil will also field a team but will not be eligible for points.

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The Irish team, managed by Michael Blake, has been drawn second last to jump in the seven-team competition.

USA will be the first team to enter the Main Arena at the RDS, followed by Norway, Brazil, Netherlands, France, Ireland and Switzerland.

Team Ireland will jump in the following order:

Down’s Conor Swail with Count Me In will be the pathfinders for the home side.

Tipperary’s Max Wachman with Coolmore Showjumping’s Berlux Z will be the next Irish combination into the Main Arena.

The penultimate combination will be US-based Corkman Shane Sweetnam with The Irish Sport Horse James Kann Kruz.

Former Olympic medallist, Meath’s Cian O’Connor, will take the anchor leg for Michael Blake’s team with another Irish Sport Horse, Kilkenny.

Ireland will be among five teams competing for Longines Nations Cup points in the RDS Main Arena tomorrow.

Dublin is also a scoring event for France, Netherlands, Norway and Switzerland. USA and Brazil will also field a team but will not be eligible for points.

The Longines Nations Cup of Ireland gets underway at 3pm on Friday.

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The Speed Derby, sponsored by Clayton Hotel Ballsbridge will get the main international action underway in the 29 combination event at 1.25pm this afternoon.

The Thursday feature, The Anglesea Stakes, has an entry of 52 combinations. This class begins at 3.30pm.

The highlight of the week’s action at the Dublin Horse Show is Friday’s Longines Nations Cup of Ireland for the award of the Aga Khan Perpetual Trophy.

Details of the draw for tomorrow’s Nations Cup of Ireland can be found 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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Both Conor Swail and Jordan Coyle achieved wins at the Canadian venue on the opening week of the Spruce Meadows’ season.

Conor Swail and Nadal Hero & DB came out best of over 50 entries in The Bantrel Cup in the-one round competition.

Riders needed to be clear and quick if they wanted to reach the winner’s circle. It was Ireland’s World number 5 ranked rider Swail with Nadal Hero & DB that set an unbeatable time of 68.36 seconds. The Irish combination was just over 2 seconds faster than Mexico’s Manuel Gonzalez Dufrane.

Ireland’s Jordan Coyle aboard Ballyoskill Big Bucks laid down the fastest clear round with a time of 70.95 seconds in The Mercier Cup. The top 5 placings from this competition qualify for Sunday’s ATCO CSI2* Grand Prix.

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World No.9 Swail was one of eight combinations from seven different countries who jumped clear in the first round. The County Down man took the lead when second last to go in the jump-off, crossing the line clear in 41.42 seconds. Germany’s Philipp Weishaupt was last to go with Coby 8, and he claimed victory with a perfectly-judged clear in 40.96 seconds.

“This was his first start of 2022, so I was a bit unsure about him going straight into the five-star,” described Swail of Count Me In. “He jumped incredibly well, and as far as the jump-off goes, I think if I had to do it again I would’ve done a better job. I am delighted with the horse, and obviously it was a fantastic result.”

In recent months, Swail has won the FEI Jumping World Cup at Fort Worth in December and the $138,600 three-star Grand Prix last week in California.

“The ranking is a by-product of being consistent, and that is what I’m aiming for,” said Swail. “I have a great group of horses at the moment, and they are giving me great chances to do well, which I am benefitting from.”

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