IRISH TEAM THIRD IN SPAIN

The Irish show jumping team finished third in last Saturday’s five-star Nations Cup at Gijon in Spain. Taylor Vard’s team of Shane Breen, David Simpson, Cameron Hanley and Anthony Condon came home with a clean slate in the second round to finish on their first round total of 12 faults.

Shane Breen and the nine-year-old Ipswich Van De Wolfsakker shone, jumping a double-clear on what was their Nations Cup debut as a combination. Cameron Hanley and the eight-year-old Quirex produced a clear in the second round, having come home with one mistake first time out.

David Simpson and the eight-year old Keoki finished with eight faults in the first round and 12 in the second. Waterford’s Anthony Condon and Balzac were the discard score first time out but went clear in the final round to seal Ireland’s third-place finish.