Kildare’s Camilla Speirs and the small but big-hearted Portersize Just a Jiff, scored one of Ireland’s best eventing results of the season, with a sixth place finish at four-star Pau in France, a competition which, as part of the FEI Classics Series, attracted a host of the world’s top horses and riders.

Speirs and the Traditional Irish Sport Horse Portersize Just A Jiff produced a foot-perfect round in the final show jumping phase – one of just seven combinations to do so on the last day of action at the French venue.

The Irish combination were in 11th place after Saturday’s cross-country phase, where they were one of seven Irish combinations to jump clear adding just time faults.

Speirs and Portersize Just a Jiff led the Irish challenge, holding 11th place overall on a score of 55.7 penalties. Galway’s Cathal Daniels, who was making his four-star debut at Pau with the Irish Sport Horse Rioghan Rua, lay in a very respectable 14th place on 57.1, while Joseph Murphy and Sportsfield Othello (ISH) were in 20th place on 59.3.

EXCELLENT ROUNDS

Meath’s Sarah Ennis (Horseware Stellor Rebound (ISH) (23rd), Ciaran Glynn (November Night (ISH)(TIH) (27th), Dominic Furnell (Ballycahane Flower Power (ISH)(TIH) (30th) and Katie O’Sullivan (Cooley Blue Flame (ISH) (35th) all produced excellent clear jumping rounds over Pau’s cross-country course.

As show jumping poles fell to the ground for many of the top combinations on Sunday, Speirs and “Jiffy” climbed the leader board to eventually snatch a superb sixth place finish on a total score of 55.7 penalties.

Daniels and Rioghan Rua (ISH) enjoyed an excellent result, finishing in 12th place overall (61.1), while Ennis and Horseware Stellor Rebound (ISH) also finished inside the top 20 on a score of 72.6.

IRISH-BREDS DOMINATE

Meanwhile, Irish Sport Horses filled three of the top-10 places. Along with Portersize Just A Jiff coming home in sixth, One Two Many finished fourth with Britain’s Nicola Wilson, while Wilson also slotted into eighth place with Annie Clover.

French rider Maxime Livio ensured a home win when he guided Qalao Des Mers to a clear final show jumping round to finish on a score of 45.3.

Germany’s Olympic and World champion, Michael Jung, looked set to win at Pau, which was the one top-level honour that had eluded the superstar of eventing. However, he lowered two fences when leading with FischerRocana FST (52.2), dropping them down to third. Jung also filled runner-up spot with his second mount Fischertakinou (52.1).