AT what was effectively a dress rehearsal for the European Championships in August, Ireland’s top show jumping team of Shane Breen, Darragh Kenny, Bertram Allen and Cian O’Connor faced a stiff test in Rotterdam last weekend.

Not only did they face their main Championship contenders in this FEI Nations Cup round, they also had to deal with the fences presented by Louis Konickx, the Gothenburg Europeans course builder.

Konickx may have instilled a sense of complacency in the first round as he let four of the eight sides through on a zero score.

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With clears from Kenny on Charly Chaplin S, Bertram Allen on Hector van d’Abdijhoeve and O’Connor on Good Luck, Rodrigo Pessoa’s Irish side was one of those with zero faults. All the rest were on just four faults.

However, the crafty Dutchman raised eight crucial fences for the second round and this had a dramatic effect on the standings.

Following his first round of four faults, Shane Breen on Golden Hawk came back with an uncharacteristic eight. With a foot in the water and the vertical at the double down Darragh Kenny also added eight.

Star of the event Bertram Allen recorded one of just seven double-clears to keep Ireland in the hunt for another podium finish. But when Cian faulted at the double and the third last we dropped back to equal fifth place with Germany and the home side on 16.

A superb Swedish side of Henrik Von Eckermann, Rolf-Goran Bengtsson, Douglas Lindelow and Peder Fredricson gave hope of a home win in the Europeans by scooping the Royal Dutch Cup on just four faults ahead of Switzerland on eight.

Ireland’s 55 points gained keeps us in a League qualifying slot of seventh. We have three more points-gaining rounds to come at Falsterbo, Hickstead and Dublin.

O’CONNOR SECOND

Cian O’Connor and Good Luck delivered two brilliant clears to claim second in Sunday’s €200,000 Longines Grand Prix.

Both O’Connor and Co Offaly’s Darragh Kenny were among the eight first round clears.

Going mid-way through the jump-off Cian took the lead in a fast 40.46secs.

However, Olympic silver medallist Peder Fredricson powered around in 40.15 to win on his homebred H & M All In, by Kashmir Van Schuttershof out of an Andiamo Z dam.

What a boost that was for the Swedes following their Nations Cup success two days earlier.

Darragh Kenny was arguably unlucky. He had the fastest jump-off time, a blistering 39.43, but one fence down dropped him to eighth.

Earlier in the week at the five-star show Cian O’Connor won the 1.50m speed class on Captain du Perchet. Darragh Kenny and Shane Breen took first and second in the 1.55m Vermeer Cup with Chanel and Ipswich van de Wolfsakker.