With a pair of wins from Cian O’Connor and some good placings by Bertram Allen and Judy Reynolds, Irish riders were in the money at the World Equestrian Festival in Aachen, Germany last weekend.

O’Connor was unbeatable against a high-class field of 45 riders to win the Prize of StädteRegion, two-phase class with Callisto. O’Connor scored his second win in 48 hours with the Philippe Membrez-owned stallion Copain du Perchet in the Prize of Sparkasse Speed Derby. Commenting on his second win, O’Connor said “Aachen have always kept this unique speed class with the lake and the crowd really enjoy it. Copain took it all in his stride literally and ate up the ground in this great arena today.”

In the €100,000 Turkish Airlines-Prize of Europe jump off class, Bertram Allen lodged his first of two third-place finishes with Molly Malone V and O’Connor placed fourth on his stallion Good Luck - Eric Lamaze, riding Fine Lady 5, took the honours for the second year running. Allen was third again in Saturday’s winning round behind Christian Ahlmann. These successes add to Team Ireland’s recent run of exceptional results at five star level.

O’Connor had a four and a clear on Good Luck in Sunday’s €750,000 Rolex Grand Slam Grand Prix. He placed 10th overall for a gain of €25,000 behind winner Gregory Wathelet of Belgium on Coree (Coronet Obolensky/Liberty Life), who took the €250,000 first prize.

DRESSAGE

Meanwhile, Judy Reynolds and Vancouver K were contesting the Dressage prizes against the very best in the world. With two fifth places and a seventh to her credit in the three main competitions she ended up a very creditable fifth in the overall Championship of Aachen behind German Olympic star Isabell Werth. Reynolds scored a hugely impressive fifth place finish in the Dressage Grand Prix CDIO finishing on a score of 75.257% in a competition that attracted a massive 33 starters. “I’m delighted with the test, really happy, there were no mistakes,” Reynolds commented. “JP (Vancouver K) got a bit hot at the start of the test when the crowd applauded but settled really well after that. It is always a strong field here in Aachen so I’m very happy with the result.”

Nations Cup action

For this weekend’s points-gaining round of the FEI Nations Cup at Hickstead Rodrigo Pessoa has picked an almost total North American-based team in Richie Moloney, Shane Sweetnam and Daniel Coyle along with Richard Howley and Shane Breen.

They will be hoping to help Ireland climb out of seventh place on the Division I points table.