Ireland's 2016 Furusiyya Nations Cup campaign starts this weekend at Lummen, Belgium. This is the first of our four points-gaining rounds in the Division 1 League and it is bound to be a stiff contest as most teams aim for early success in this Olympic year. Our strong selection includes all four of our main contenders for filling our single slot in Rio – Greg Broderick, Bertram Allen, Cian O’Connor and Denis Lynch along with Anthony Condon, who gets his first Furusiyya call-up.

On their way to Lummen, Bertram and Denis took in the Belgian Global Champions Tour round in Antwerp. However, with Molly Molone and Quote Zavaan, they both failed to make the cut of 18 into the second round. The event was brilliantly won by France’s Penelope Leprevost on the utterly superb For Pleasure mare Flora de Mariposa from a first to go draw in a five-horse jump-off. Meanwhile, Anthony Condon stopped off at the German two-star show in Eschweiler and took the Grand Prix there with his team horse Aristio.

In the new Global Champions League at Antwerp, Bertram Allen jumped a four and a clear on Molly Malone. This, added to a double-clear from Britain's John Whitaker, boosted their Valkenswaard United team to second behind the Antwerp Diamonds side of Jos Verloy and Audrey Coulter. The Valkenswaard United squad stands second overall in the GCL League.

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