The US-based Kanturk native and the nine-year-old mare Out of the Blue Scf were last of the 46 combinations to go in the Sport Ireland Classic, the day’s premier class.

Spaniard Eduardo Alvarez Aznar and Legend had held the lead for much of the competition with a clear in 66.88 seconds.

With the Irish combination last into the arena, they produced the 19th clear round of the class, and stopped the timer at 66.15 seconds, giving them the €8,646 first prize.

The win for the home nation continued the excellent form of Irish riders in the Sport Ireland Classic, having taking victory seven of the last 10 years prior to today.

Max Wachman, riding Coolmore Showjumping’s Quintini, was next in the line-up, with a time of 67.10 seconds, while his trainer and Olympic medallist Cian O’Conor claimed fourth spot aboard Tipperary (67.54).

Swiss Steve Guerdat was fifth in a time of 67.99 seconds with Albfuehren’s Maddox.

Shane Breen who had 6 clear rounds in this class since 2010, maintained his excellent record, with finishing clear in 68.20 seconds with Cuick Star Kervec, good enough for a 6th place finish.

Statistical information kindly provided by Equiratings.

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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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Corkman Sweetnam beat off a world class field to score a superb victory in Saturday $401,000 Douglas Elliman Real Estate five-star Grand Prix.

Sweetnam and Alejandro, a 12-year-old gelding, won after a stunning jump-off round when last to go against the clock.

Switzerland’s world number two Martin Fuchs and his 2018 world championship individual silver medalist mount, Clooney 51, had held the lead with a clear round in 37.16 seconds. However Sweetnam crossed the line in 37.03 seconds after a daring gallop to the last fence to take victory.

American Devin Ryan and Eddie Blue finished third with a clear in 38.74 seconds. Wexford’s Bertram Allen and The Irish Sport Horse Pacino Amiro were sixth with one fence down against the clock in 37.18 seconds.

Final Results: $401,000 Douglas Elliman Real Estate Grand Prix CSI5*

1. Alejandro and Shane Sweetnam 0/0/37.03
2. Clooney 51 and Martin Fuchs 0/0/37.16
3. Eddie Blue and Devin Ryan 0/0/38.74

O’Connor wins on Sunday

Cian O’Connor and the 10-year-old gelding Careca LS Elite won Sunday’s $50,000 Restylane two-star Grand Prix.

Seven of the 44 starters made it through to the second round. O’Connor, despite being first to go in the jump-off led from start to finish with his clear in 45.65 seconds proving unbeatable.

Canada’s Rachel Cornacchia and Valkyrie De Talma were second, two-hundredths of a second behind the winner. Jennifer Waxman of the USA and Mecho Van’t Kiezelhof finished third in 46.07 seconds.

The Olympic individual bronze medalist who has represented Ireland in 15 international championships has a string of up-and-coming horses at WEF this season with a very specific goal in mind for the 2021 season.

O’Connor will continue to campaign for the duration of WEF. He is also training students at the elite level, including Canadian Nicole Walker and up-and-coming Irish riders Max and Tom Wachman, grandsons of Coolmore owner John Magnier.

Final Results: $50,000 Restylane Grand Prix CSI2*

1. Careca’s LS Elite and Cian O’Connor 0/0/45.65
2. Valkyrie De Talma and Rachel Cornacchia 0/0/45.67
3. Mecho Van’t Kiezelhof and Jennifer Waxman 0/0/46.07

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Tipperary’s Lynch maintained his excellent recent form at the Hubside Tour in France, after he recorded an impressive victory in their two-star Grand Prix.

Riding the 14-year-old mare Spring Dark, Lynch came out on top after an 18-horse jump-off to take the top prize of €7,500.

A clear jump-off round in 40.82 seconds saw Lynch finish 0.16 of a second ahead of French runner-up Marc Dilasser and Corona Z. Another French rider, Alexis Deroubaix, was a further second and a half back in third with Carmen du Plessis.

The strength of Irish showjumping is evident in the success at Youth level. In France, Jack Gateau Conlon took victory with Samba Van De Groenheuvel in the 1m20 Pony class at Le Mans in France. He produced the only clear round of the competition to take the win while he also took third place aboard Sienna Dusky Sky.

Tipperary’s Max Wachman, another promising young Irish showjumping rider, recorded a hugely impressive result, when he took victory in Saturday’s feature class at Vejer De La Frontera. Up against a top class field of some of the world’s most experienced riders, Wachman riding Brooklyn De Hus finished with over a second to spare over Brazilian runner-up Pedro Veniss with Ballad Of Colors.

Jessica Burke and The Irish Sport Horse Express Trend took victory recently in this two-star Grand Prix at Sentower Park in Belgium.

A large field of 57 starters went to post, with Gort-based Burke coming out on top after a 13-horse jump-off with Express Trend (ISH).

Britain’s Harry Charles finished second with Valkiry de Zance, just ahead of Morocco’s Abdelkebir Ouaddar and Istanbull V.H Ooievaarshof in third.

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