Irish show jumpers win again in Norway

The Irish show jumping team won the Nations Cup in Norway for the third year in a row last Friday.

Michael Blake’s team of Harry Allen, Shane Carey, Capt Geoff Curran, and Max Wachman defeated 10 other nations to win the Cup for the fourth time in five years.

Twenty-year-old Harry Allen from Co Wexford jumped a brilliant double clear round with the 10-year-old gelding Guinness.

Making his Nations Cup debut at just 17-years-old, Tipperary’s Max Wachman and Dorette had two fences down on their first attempt before posting a perfect clear second round.

Waterford’s Capt Geoff Curran and the Irish Sport Horse Glengarra Wood jumped clear in round one and picked up just four faults in round two, while Limerick-born Shane Carey was clear first time out with Skorphults Baloutendro and didn’t need to jump in the second round with Ireland already assured of victory.

Big weekend at Barnadown

Now in its 10th year, the €100,000 Irish Breeders’ Classic starts on Thursday in Barnadown Showjumping in Co Wexford. The main event is the five and six-year-old class on Sunday, with a purse of €30,000.

Millstreet eventing

Millstreet International Horse Trials started on Wednesday at the Duggan family’s Green Glen Arena in Co Cork. The total prize fund on offer is €28,000. This is one of the highlights of the eventing season in Ireland.

Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Kevin McNab from Australia is expected to take part, along with several British eventers. The cross-country track has been revamped by leading course designer Mike Etherington-Smith.

Para riders in Japan

Best of luck to the Irish dressage riders taking part in the Tokyo Paralympic Games. Michael Murphy, Kate Kerr-Horan, Rosemary Gaffney and Tamsin Addison are all making their Paralympic debuts at the event, which runs from Thursday (26 August) to Monday 6 September.

Goresbridge Supreme Sale

The Goresbridge Supreme Sale of Show Jumping Foals takes place at Barnadown on Saturday (28 August) at 5pm. There are 15 lots catalogued and the top price paid last year was €18,000.