IRELAND HAD TO settle for equal sixth in today’s Nations’ Cup at the Dublin Horse Show despite impressive performances from Aga Khan debutants Darragh Kenny and Bertram Allen.
Victory went to a United States team that combined consistency with brilliance to record just four faults over both rounds while Britain took second on eight faults.
The win means back-to-back success for the USA who won the same event at the Royal International Horse Show in Hickstead last weekend.
Once more, rock legend Bruce Springsteen was on hand to cheer on his daughter Jessica who put in a double clear performance aboard Vindicat W to help her team to the €64,000 first prize.
The Ukraine, France and Sweden shared third place on 16 faults apiece, with the Netherlands joining Ireland on 20 faults. Germany finished last today on a team elimination.
The Irish team, which also included Cian O’Connor and Dermott Lennon, accumulated 12 faults in the first round but seemed set to stage a comeback as the second round started, with Allen and Kenny both going clear.
However O’Connor, who had faulted only once first time out, ended on eight faults in the final round before Lennon became one of five riders on the eight teams in the competition to suffer elimination due to double refusals on Alan Wade’s deceptively tricky course.
The result in Dublin means that Ireland will not be one of the seven European Division One teams going through to October’s 2014 Furusiyya Series Final in Barcelona.
Team manager Robert Splaine said afterwards:
“I’m obviously disappointed in today’s result. I pick the riders, and I’m responsible for getting good results, and though a pretty good result was achievable for us today, it didn’t work out that way.
“We had a fabulous second round recovery from the two young lads making their debut here, Bertram Allen and Darragh Kenny, but then we had a completely uncharacteristic refusal from Dermott Lennon’s mare at a fence that caused a similar problem for quite a few other riders.
“This week was also a trial for the upcoming World Equestrian Games in Normandy and some significant facts emerged.”
Result
NATIONS’ CUP OF DUBLIN
1: USA – 4 faults
2: Great Britain – 8 faults
3: Ukraine, France Sweden – 16 faults
6: Ireland, Netherlands – 20 faults
8: Germany – Elimination
