Michael Blake’s team of Michael Duffy, Trevor Breen, Shane Sweetnam and Eoin McMahon headed into the team final with less than a time fault separating the top four nations.

Germany held the lead following the first two days of jumping on a score of 9.31, Sweden were second on 9.51 and Switzerland next on 9.92. The Irish team was just outside of the top three on 10.00 with over a fence in hand ahead of Austria in fifth place.

Clear for Michael Duffy and Cinca 3

Galway’s Michael Duffy was first into the arena for Ireland, riding the 14-year-old grey mare Cinca 3. This combination had jumped two clear rounds on Wednesday and Thursday.

This excellent form continued as they again went clear to give Ireland a brilliant start.

Germany’s first line rider Marcus Ehning withdrew from competition, while the final fence fell for Sweden’s Henrik von Eckermann. A clear round from Steve Guerdat got Switzerland off to a strong start.

Trevor Breen and Highland President

Trevor Breen was next in for Ireland with Highland President. The Tipperary rider and the 11-year-old gelding were unlucky to roll the final part of the combination, but the result was enough to help move Ireland up to third spot overall.

At the half way stage Ireland were in bronze medal position as Germany dropped to fourth following a fence down for Philipp Weishaupt.

Sweden moved to top spot with a clear from Wilma Hellström, while Switzerland held second though they had two fences down from Bryan Balsiger.

Four faults for Shane Sweetnam and James Kann Cruz

Cork’s Shane Sweetnam and the Irish Sport Horse James Kann Cruz were unlucky to add four faults as Sweden extended their lead with a Jens Fredricson clear.

Despite the four faults from Sweetnam, Ireland actually moved into the silver medal position on a score of 14. Switzerland’s third rider, Edouard Schmitz, had three fences down, forcing them to count Balsiger’s eight faults and putting the Swiss on a team score of 17.92.

Ireland move into silver medal position

Tipperary’s Eoin McMahon and the 11-year-old grey mare Mila had one fence down, leaving Ireland on 18 faults in third place.

Switzerland’s Martin Fuchs needed to jump clear to hold onto the silver medal, but eight faults from the Swiss saw Michael Blake’s Ireland side move up to second.

Sweden claimed the gold medal and European title on a team score of 9.51, with three of their four riders jumping clear. Ireland took silver with Austria third, ahead of Germany in fourth and Spain in fifth.

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In an exceptional display by the pre-competition favourites and first-ever winners of the famous trophy in 1926, they produced two double clear rounds, and six clear rounds in total, as they ended the two-round Nations Cup on a zero score.

Last year’s winners, Ireland, who had been given a 20% win chance by Equiratings this morning, finished as runners-up on 12 faults in their attempt to successfully defend their title. The home nation has a total of three clear rounds during the class, and their anchor Shane Sweetnam and James Khan Cruz did not jump as it would not have changed their overall finishing position.

The 2018 winners Mexico took the final position on the podium on 16 faults, followed by France on 20, Belgium on 21, The Netherlands on 24, Spain on 28 and Britain on a final score of 57 faults.

Round One

Ireland ended the opening round of the Longines FEI Nations Cup with 8 faults, the same score as 27-time Aga Khan Trophy winners Britain, and France, with the favourites Switzerland – given a 25% win chance by Equiratings – holding a two-fence lead on a zero score.

Irish pathfinder and one of two Aga Khan Trophy debutants, Michael Duffy and Cinca had four faults at the water as did the second-line combination of the other first-timer on the Aga Khan team Mikey Pender and HHS Calais.

Cian O’Connor, the rider with most Aga Khan starts and podium finishes in the last 10 editions, and Eve d’Ouilly, were the third Irish combination into the Main Arena. They also had four faults, this time knocking a pole in the final part of the triple combination.

Kanturk’s Shane Sweetnam and the Irish Sport Horse James Kann Cruz brought Michael Blake’s side back into contention with a clear round in front of a packed and nervous crowd.

Switzerland achieved three clear rounds through Steve Guerdat (Venard de Cerisy), Martin Fuchs (Leone Jei) and Edouard Schmitz (Garmin Van’T Naastveldhof), meaning their four faults score from Bryan Balsiger and Chelsea Z became their discard score.

The water caused some problems during the opening round with a total of five combinations incurring faults there. The penultimate fence, the Telecom post boxes with a Liverpool underneath, saw nine participants knock a pole.

Britain and France joined Ireland in joint-second place at the end of the first round – with the three teams on 8 faults.

Belgium and Spain were next, a fence behind, with Mexico on 16 faults and The Netherlands bringing up the rear on 20 faults.

Round Two

The Swiss took up where they had ended the first round with each of their first three combinations all going clear. Steve Guerdat and Venard De Cerisy as well as Martin Fuchs and Leone JEI achieved exceptional double clear rounds, while second-line rider Bryan Balsiger and Chelsea Z, who faulted in the first round, went better at his second attempt.

With Fuchs’ second clear the Swiss were uncatchable, meaning their final-line rider Edouard Schmitz didn’t jump.

Course builder Alan Wade later described it as “poetry in motion watching them jump clear after clear.”

Michael Duffy and Cinca got Ireland off to the best possible start in the second round, going clear in 70.96 seconds. Mikey Pender and HHS Calais matched their four-fault first round, before Cian O’Connor riding Eve D’Ouilly produced a faultless round.

Shane Sweetnam and James Kann Cruz then withdrew as they were safe in the runners-up position, and unable to catch chef d’équipe Michel Sorg’s side.

Switzerland have won the Aga Khan Cup at the RDS, while Ireland finished as the runners-up with Mexico in third place. #RTEsport pic.twitter.com/5cLLC3ZUmR

— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) August 11, 2023

“It’s very special to stand on the podium; it’s an amazing arena,” admitted Sorg. “It’s a dream of everybody to win this Aga Khan Trophy. It’s been a while.”

Statistical information kindly provided by Equiratings.

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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 Show, now its 148th year, will runs from today, Wednesday until Sunday evening.

The highlight of the five-day show sill be the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup for the award of the Aga Khan Trophy on Friday afternoon.

Michael Blake’s Irish team will bid to successfully defend the trophy which they won last year.

The first International competition in the Main Arena, the Speed Stakes, will get underway this morning at 11.25am.

There will be also be action throughout the week in Simmonscourt, Ring 1 and Ring 2.

Further information can be found on the Dublin Horse Show website.

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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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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 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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Ireland climbed from overnight ninth place to finish fourth overall and take one of the five Olympic places on offer – and at the finish, missed out on the bronze medal by just one penalty.

Just the top 10 teams from the 22 that started the week made it through to the final under floodlights. Ireland starting in ninth place overall, carrying forward a score of 17.15 penalties from the first two rounds held on Wednesday and Thursday.

Tipperary’s Denis Lynch was first to jump with his Rome Grand Prix winner Brooklyn Heights. The World No.25 produced an excellent round, jumping clear over the fences, picking up just one time fault over what was proving a very difficult course.

Wexford’s Bertram Allen then gave Ireland another boost when he jumped an outstanding clear round with The Irish Sport Horse Pacino Amiro. Those rounds from Lynch and Allen moved Ireland up five places to fourth with two riders left to jump for each of the 10 teams.

Third to go for Ireland, Meath’s Cian O’Connor and C Vier 2 were clear until the penultimate combination where they had one fence down and picked up one time fault for a five fault score. That score from O’Connor would prove crucial.

Derry’s Daniel Coyle had a couple of fences down with Legacy, after which Coyle decided to retire knowing he couldn’t improve Ireland’s score.

Sweden claimed a well-deserved team gold medal after finishing on a score of just 7.69. Netherlands took silver on 19.31 while Britain just pipped Ireland for bronze on 22.66 seconds.

Ireland in fourth had a final score of 23.15, while Germany took the last Olympic qualifying place on a score of 24.76.

Irish team manager Michael Blake said:

“Obviously we are delighted to take an Olympic qualification place at the very first opportunity as it now gives us two full years to prepare for the Games. It is slightly bittersweet as we came so close to winning a medal.

Horse Sport Ireland CEO Denis Duggan added:

“Huge congratulations to Michael Blake and his team on a fantastic performance at the World Championships and in gaining Olympic qualification. To qualify here at the very first opportunity against all of the top teams in the world, is hugely significant, as it gives us as much time as possible to prepare for Paris.”

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