As the Longines World Cup Western European League gets under way next week in Oslo, Ireland will be represented by the in-form Billy Twomey and Shane Breen, part of the Irish side that placed fifth in the recent Furusiyya Nations Cup Final. Oslo is the first of 13 qualifying rounds in this league in which Robert Splaine’s selections will be bidding for points toward booking a place in the 38th final of this Max Ammann-inspired series that began away back in the 1978/1979 season.

Twomey and Breen will also take in Helsinki, which follows on immediately after Oslo. Prior to Christmas, six more rounds will be run in Lyon (30 Oct); Verona (13 Nov); Stuttgart (20 Nov); Madrid (27 Nov); La Corona (11 Dec) and the great Christmas extravaganza at London Olympia (17 Dec).

As usual, it picks up again just before New Year's at Mechelen (30 Dec), followed by Leipzig (22 Jan); Zurich (29 Jan); Bordeaux (5 Feb) and the true home of the series at Gothenburg (2 Feb).

Down the years, the overall final has alternated between Gothenburg and the USA. This time, a very new venue in Omaha, Nebraska, will play host for the first time. No doubt that will be a gala affair.

While Irish riders have constantly challenged for this prestige title, they have never won it. Eddie Macken came third at the very first final in 1989. Twenty years later, Trevor Coyle came within 1.5 penalties of winning it in 1999 with Cruising. Jessica Kürten came even closer when she placed second by just one penalty on Libertina in 2006. They were fourth in 2008. Dermott Lennon was fifth with Hallmark Elite in 2010 and at Las Vegas in 2015, Bertram Allen came third on Molly Malone. Denis Lynch was our representative in the 2016 final at Gothenburg last April and he finished fifth on All Star.

Qualifiers have already been under way in the North American Eastern League from which European riders can transfer points to their home League.

Picking up points in that very hot series so far have been Conor Swail, Richie Moloney and Shane Sweetnam. It would be nice if one of our US-based riders could nail a slot in the Omaha final, which would be easily within their reach.

NATIONS CUP FUTURE

While Longines have once again committed to sponsorship of the World Cup, there has been no word from the Saudi Equestrian Club about renewal of its Furusiyya backing of the Nations Cup series. Having poured €16 million into this so very important aspect of world show jumping, it now looks as if they will not continue.

There was some word that, in early negotiations, the Saudis were looking for some major changes in the series that were not acceptable and as of Dublin Horse Show time, the only word from the FEI was that there was no word. Asked what the hope was for the future the only answer was “we will soldier on”.

Just what “soldering on” would mean is not at all clear. Some possible investors are reported to have been on hand at the recent Furusiyya Final.

However, they appear to have arrived on the very day that lightning forced cancellation of the Consolation event. That did not help. But, on a positive note, the Nations Cup is still the beating heart of world show jumping.

No matter what, it will not be lost because the great shows of the world, like our own Dublin, will still run its most popular event: “the Cup”. It can only be hoped that a new sponsor will surface which will make participation on a national team not only emotive and patriotic, but also financially rewarding along the lines of the Global Champions Tour. But one thing is sure, the new Global Champions League is in no way a replacement for the intensity that is a good Nations Cup.

FOUR FOR JUDY REYNOLDS

Following on from her New York success, Ireland’s dressage star Judy Reynolds and the great Vancouver K scored two more Grand Prix wins in Devon, Pennsylvania, last weekend. Her scores this time were of Olympic medal standard as she racked up a 74.75% and a new personal best of 77.55% to take the reds. This is the first time in the history of Irish dressage that a rider scored four Grand Prix wins in a row. Congratulations Judy.