International show jumping

Although missing out in the Aga Khan and having Denis Lynch come second in the €200,000 Grand Prix, Irish riders still managed to score a crowd pleasing eight wins out of the 10 five-star classes on offer in the main arena at last week’s Dublin Horse Show.

Hero of Ireland’s 2015 Aga Khan win, Greg Broderick set the tone with a double of firsts on the 13-year-old Zuidam who is by Guidam. The Tipperary man took the opening Speed Stakes on Wednesday and went on to win Thursday’s Clayton Hotel Speed Derby with the fastest time of the six Irish riders that filled the top six places.

Meanwhile, Shane Breen and Ipswich van de Wolfsakker by Cicero Z had already come up with a double clear to win Wednesday’s Sport Ireland Classic ahead of Bertram Allen on Izzy By Picobello.

Allen scores

Aleen and Izzy continued the unprecedented Irish run of success when producing the best of nine double clears in Thursday’s Serpentine Stakes to score ahead of Japan’s Karen Polle. The flying Allen produced the second Irish win on Friday morning in the second seven and eight-year-old Red Mill’s international championship qualifier on Calafrieda by Canto 16. Gerard O’Neill had won the first qualifier with Castlefield Vegas by Cassino.

So as we walked the course for the Aga Khan one felt a certain confidence that Ireland would take the world famous trophy for the 24th time. That did not happen. But none the less, the Irish romp continued. Cian O’Connor entered the winners list on Saturday afternoon as he scooped the Mount Juliet Estate Accumulator on Copain du Perchet CH.

Denis Lynch followed that with one more Irish first on RMF Zecilie by Acolord in the JLT Jump-Off. One of just six double clears, he was home ahead of London Olympic Champion, Steve Guerdat.

Puissance

Before a packed crowd the Land Rover Puissance came down to a battle between two Irish riders, Daniel Coyle and Christopher Megahey. In the final round, with the wall standing at 2.2m, with their two Irish-breds Cavalier Rusticana by Try Time and Seapatrick Cruise Cavalier by Cruise On they cleared the wall again to divide the €20,000.

On Sunday, the Irish were at it again as O’Connor and Copain secured their second win of the show in the €24,600 Speed Championship ahead of Billy Twomey on the Irish bred Ardcolum Duke by Gypsy Duke out of a Clover Hill dam.

Denis Lynch on RMF Echo and Shane Sweetnam on Main Road were among the nine first round clears in Sunday’s Longines Grand Prix, but this time they had to give best to the Swiss as Werner Muff won it on Daimler by Canturano in 37.06. Drawn second last to go Denis Lynch gave it his all but missed out by 0.09 of a second in 37.17 for second.