Clears from Thomas Ryan on Caribo, Alex Duffy riding WCE Cruco (ISH) and Captain Michael Kelly on Ringwood Glen (ISH), helped Ireland into fourth place behind France, Portugal and Brazil in the Division II Furusiyya Nations Cup in Lisbon last weekend.

Ireland’s show jumping manager Robert Splaine said after the event:

“Because Ireland is in the super league we use these Divison II competitions to develop new combinations and we had two new horses making their first Nations’ Cup appearances. The Minister for Defence’s Irish-bred Ringwood Glen with Captain Michael Kelly was the talk of the show and gave us a brilliant clear in the second round.

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“Irish Sport Horse WCE Cruco, owned by Martin O’Dea and Carl Hanley Sporthorses, and ridden by Alex Duffy, gave us an excellent clear in the opening round. Thomas Ryan and Simone Aschanden’s Caribo also gave us a second round clear, and this all helped us climb from seventh place at the halfway mark to fourth overall.”

Michael G. Duffy from Mayo won the Two Phase in Lisbon with Eminent. Both Jessica Kurten and Dermott Lennon had placings in St. Gallen, where Britain won the cup. The great Irish mare Castlefield Eclipse, bred by Pat Nihill in County Clare, won the Grand Prix there for the home team’s Paul Estermann.

Meanwhile in Hamburg, Michael Duffy scored a hat-trick of wins on the Irish bred Westland Ruby.

Dermot Forde-bred this mare by Aldato out of the jumping mare Diamond Explosion.

Also in Hamburg, Billy Twomey won Friday’s Two Phase on Katrina Moore’s stallion Royale du Rouet.