Canadian course designer Peter Grant set the track for the evening’s competition, where 15 horse-and-rider combinations from an international field jumped clear in the opening round.

The jump-off came down to a battle between Coyle and American Aaron Vale, who each qualified their two mounts for the short course.

In the end, it was Coyle and Farrel that stopped the clock in an unbeatable 37.24 seconds to take the victory.

Vale was runner-up with Obi Wan in 38.07 seconds, with Coyle also taking third with 14-year-old Quintin, in a time of 38.52 seconds, while Vale claimed fourth with Prescott in 39.74 seconds.

Winning rider Daniel Coyle said:

“On Farrel, you can turn on half a stride. He’s an amazing horse to turn back to a vertical. He’s very handy. Turning back so tight to the second to last jump, that’s all to do with the horse there. Aaron [Vale] would have done the same thing. We both took risks, but at the end it comes back to the horse and if you can nail it

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On Saturday evening Darragh Kenny and the 11-year-old bay gelding Eddy Blue claimed victory in the 1.50m $78,000 Hampton Classic Speed Cup, jumping clear in 69.27 seconds. USA’s McLain Ward took second place in a time of 69.68 seconds, while Ireland’s Conor Swail was third with Vital Chance de la Roque.

The combination had taken the runner-up spot in the 1.45m Speed Stakes on Thursday. They jumped a foot-perfect clear round to stop the clock in 31.95 seconds, just behind Rene Dittmer in 31.18 seconds.

In Sunday’s 1.60m CSI5* Grand Prix Kenny was seventh with Chic Chic, while in the 1.45m CSI2* Grand Prix four Irish riders finished inside the top six. Conor Swail took the runner-up spot behind Nayel Nasser for Egypt. Riding the 16-year-old gelding Count Me In, Swail  and Count Me In were double clear to finish less than a second behind Nasser.

Irish rider Philip McGuane completed the podium, riding the nine-year-old mare Orphea HQ; Jonathan Corrigan was fifth with the nine-year-old mare Oaky Flandria, while Conor O’Regan and Mendini DR came home in sixth place.

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Michael Blake’s team of Michael Duffy, Trevor Breen, Shane Sweetnam and Eoin McMahon headed into the team final with less than a time fault separating the top four nations.

Germany held the lead following the first two days of jumping on a score of 9.31, Sweden were second on 9.51 and Switzerland next on 9.92. The Irish team was just outside of the top three on 10.00 with over a fence in hand ahead of Austria in fifth place.

Clear for Michael Duffy and Cinca 3

Galway’s Michael Duffy was first into the arena for Ireland, riding the 14-year-old grey mare Cinca 3. This combination had jumped two clear rounds on Wednesday and Thursday.

This excellent form continued as they again went clear to give Ireland a brilliant start.

Germany’s first line rider Marcus Ehning withdrew from competition, while the final fence fell for Sweden’s Henrik von Eckermann. A clear round from Steve Guerdat got Switzerland off to a strong start.

Trevor Breen and Highland President

Trevor Breen was next in for Ireland with Highland President. The Tipperary rider and the 11-year-old gelding were unlucky to roll the final part of the combination, but the result was enough to help move Ireland up to third spot overall.

At the half way stage Ireland were in bronze medal position as Germany dropped to fourth following a fence down for Philipp Weishaupt.

Sweden moved to top spot with a clear from Wilma Hellström, while Switzerland held second though they had two fences down from Bryan Balsiger.

Four faults for Shane Sweetnam and James Kann Cruz

Cork’s Shane Sweetnam and the Irish Sport Horse James Kann Cruz were unlucky to add four faults as Sweden extended their lead with a Jens Fredricson clear.

Despite the four faults from Sweetnam, Ireland actually moved into the silver medal position on a score of 14. Switzerland’s third rider, Edouard Schmitz, had three fences down, forcing them to count Balsiger’s eight faults and putting the Swiss on a team score of 17.92.

Ireland move into silver medal position

Tipperary’s Eoin McMahon and the 11-year-old grey mare Mila had one fence down, leaving Ireland on 18 faults in third place.

Switzerland’s Martin Fuchs needed to jump clear to hold onto the silver medal, but eight faults from the Swiss saw Michael Blake’s Ireland side move up to second.

Sweden claimed the gold medal and European title on a team score of 9.51, with three of their four riders jumping clear. Ireland took silver with Austria third, ahead of Germany in fourth and Spain in fifth.

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In an exceptional display by the pre-competition favourites and first-ever winners of the famous trophy in 1926, they produced two double clear rounds, and six clear rounds in total, as they ended the two-round Nations Cup on a zero score.

Last year’s winners, Ireland, who had been given a 20% win chance by Equiratings this morning, finished as runners-up on 12 faults in their attempt to successfully defend their title. The home nation has a total of three clear rounds during the class, and their anchor Shane Sweetnam and James Khan Cruz did not jump as it would not have changed their overall finishing position.

The 2018 winners Mexico took the final position on the podium on 16 faults, followed by France on 20, Belgium on 21, The Netherlands on 24, Spain on 28 and Britain on a final score of 57 faults.

Round One

Ireland ended the opening round of the Longines FEI Nations Cup with 8 faults, the same score as 27-time Aga Khan Trophy winners Britain, and France, with the favourites Switzerland – given a 25% win chance by Equiratings – holding a two-fence lead on a zero score.

Irish pathfinder and one of two Aga Khan Trophy debutants, Michael Duffy and Cinca had four faults at the water as did the second-line combination of the other first-timer on the Aga Khan team Mikey Pender and HHS Calais.

Cian O’Connor, the rider with most Aga Khan starts and podium finishes in the last 10 editions, and Eve d’Ouilly, were the third Irish combination into the Main Arena. They also had four faults, this time knocking a pole in the final part of the triple combination.

Kanturk’s Shane Sweetnam and the Irish Sport Horse James Kann Cruz brought Michael Blake’s side back into contention with a clear round in front of a packed and nervous crowd.

Switzerland achieved three clear rounds through Steve Guerdat (Venard de Cerisy), Martin Fuchs (Leone Jei) and Edouard Schmitz (Garmin Van’T Naastveldhof), meaning their four faults score from Bryan Balsiger and Chelsea Z became their discard score.

The water caused some problems during the opening round with a total of five combinations incurring faults there. The penultimate fence, the Telecom post boxes with a Liverpool underneath, saw nine participants knock a pole.

Britain and France joined Ireland in joint-second place at the end of the first round – with the three teams on 8 faults.

Belgium and Spain were next, a fence behind, with Mexico on 16 faults and The Netherlands bringing up the rear on 20 faults.

Round Two

The Swiss took up where they had ended the first round with each of their first three combinations all going clear. Steve Guerdat and Venard De Cerisy as well as Martin Fuchs and Leone JEI achieved exceptional double clear rounds, while second-line rider Bryan Balsiger and Chelsea Z, who faulted in the first round, went better at his second attempt.

With Fuchs’ second clear the Swiss were uncatchable, meaning their final-line rider Edouard Schmitz didn’t jump.

Course builder Alan Wade later described it as “poetry in motion watching them jump clear after clear.”

Michael Duffy and Cinca got Ireland off to the best possible start in the second round, going clear in 70.96 seconds. Mikey Pender and HHS Calais matched their four-fault first round, before Cian O’Connor riding Eve D’Ouilly produced a faultless round.

Shane Sweetnam and James Kann Cruz then withdrew as they were safe in the runners-up position, and unable to catch chef d’équipe Michel Sorg’s side.

Switzerland have won the Aga Khan Cup at the RDS, while Ireland finished as the runners-up with Mexico in third place. #RTEsport pic.twitter.com/5cLLC3ZUmR

— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) August 11, 2023

“It’s very special to stand on the podium; it’s an amazing arena,” admitted Sorg. “It’s a dream of everybody to win this Aga Khan Trophy. It’s been a while.”

Statistical information kindly provided by Equiratings.

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The England-based rider and the 12-year-old gelding took the winner’s cheque of €17,358 with a clear round in the jump-off, stopping the timer in 34.52 seconds.

Howley’s compatriot Harry Allen, whose older brother Bertram won the earlier Speed Derby, was second with Calculatus, jumping clear in the jump-off round in a time of 36.85 seconds.

Greek rider Ioli Mytillineou, riding Levis de Muze, was third in 38.00, winning €7,890.

The next two positions went to Irish combinations, with Denis Lynch and Vistogrand fourth in 34.83, followed by 2018 winner Shane Sweetnam and yesterday’s Sport Ireland Classic winner Out of the Blue Scf (36.80).

Howley’s win was a first for Ireland in the class since 2018 when US-based Shane Sweetnam and Indra van de Oude Heiheof claimed victory by just 0.59 seconds.

It was only a fifth victory for the home nation since 2011.

Statistical information kindly provided by Equiratings.

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The Wexford rider and his bay mare were best of the 17 combinations to win the Paul Darragh Trophy in a time of 81.95 seconds to claim the €8,646 first prize.

Irish rider claimed the top four spots in the class, with Shane Breen and Z7 Ipswich, the long time leaders, taking the runner-up spot in 83.67 seconds.

Next best was Jack Ryan and the Irish Sport Horse mare Cavalier Teaca, stopping the clock in 85.30 seconds.

Mikey Pender, a winner in the Main Arena on the opening day of this year’s show, rounded out the top four with HHS Vancouver, clocking 86.21 seconds.

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Blake’s side will jump fifth of the eight competing nations, as Ireland aim for back-to-back wins in the Aga Khan Trophy at the RDS.

Aga Khan Trophy debutant Michael Duffy and Cinca 3 will be the Irish pathfinders.

Next into the Main Arena for the home nation will be another Aga Khan Trophy first timer in Mikey Pender and the Irish Sport Horse HHS Calais.

The experienced Cian O’Connor and Eve D’Ouilly will be next to jump for Ireland, while US-based Shane Sweetnam and the Irish Sport Horse James Kann Cruz will be the anchor leg.

Speaking at the team draw on Friday morning, Michael Blake said:

“I’m very confident, I have named a strong team – but there are very strong teams here.

“Michel Duffy has been on three Nations Cup teams this season with Cinca 3 and jumped five clear rounds out of six. So we will start off with him as our first rider in.

“Michael Pender has jumped in two Nations Cup and was outstanding in Rome with HHS Calais.

“We are going to put Cian in third, which some might find unusual. He’s on a new horse to him, who is less experienced, so he can go in and jump his own round without as much pressure.

“Shane is on one of the best horses in the world right now, so we’re going to let him carry the weight of the world and put him in last.”

The eight nations competing for the Aga Khan Trophy will jump in the following order:

1. Mexico
2. The Netherlands
3. Spain
4. Great Britain
5. Ireland
6. Belgium
7. France
8. Switzerland

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Bertram Allen, Shane Sweetnam and Alexander Butler, all recent winners of the competition, will bid to join American rider McLain Ward as the only repeat winner of the class, having won it in 2019 and 2013.

It was in 2018 that an Irish rider last won, when Kanturk’s Shane Sweetnam and Indra van de Oude Heiheof took the win by just 0.59 seconds.

With Irish riders having taken victory on only four occasions from 2011, both Daniel Coyle with Legacy and Bertram Allen and Pacino Amiro will be be among the favourites to increase that winning number. They will be ably supported in the quest for an Irish win by Michael Duffy and Zilton SL Z and Trevor Breen and Highland President.

Statistical information kindly provided by Equiratings.

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The US-based Kanturk native and the nine-year-old mare Out of the Blue Scf were last of the 46 combinations to go in the Sport Ireland Classic, the day’s premier class.

Spaniard Eduardo Alvarez Aznar and Legend had held the lead for much of the competition with a clear in 66.88 seconds.

With the Irish combination last into the arena, they produced the 19th clear round of the class, and stopped the timer at 66.15 seconds, giving them the €8,646 first prize.

The win for the home nation continued the excellent form of Irish riders in the Sport Ireland Classic, having taking victory seven of the last 10 years prior to today.

Max Wachman, riding Coolmore Showjumping’s Quintini, was next in the line-up, with a time of 67.10 seconds, while his trainer and Olympic medallist Cian O’Conor claimed fourth spot aboard Tipperary (67.54).

Swiss Steve Guerdat was fifth in a time of 67.99 seconds with Albfuehren’s Maddox.

Shane Breen who had 6 clear rounds in this class since 2010, maintained his excellent record, with finishing clear in 68.20 seconds with Cuick Star Kervec, good enough for a 6th place finish.

Statistical information kindly provided by Equiratings.

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Jessica Burke took the Minerva Stakes going clear in 60.54 seconds.

The Galway rider and her willing companion Impulss showed they meant business from the moment their round began. They attacked the course with determination and claimed the second International class of day one by more than three seconds, in a competition that saw 17 clears.

Britain’s Sienna Charles and Valkiry de Zance took the runner-up spot, stopping the clock, clear in 64.00 seconds.

Irish riders filled the next three places with Shane Breen and Z7 Ipswich third in 65.82 seconds, with the Coyle brothers from Derry filling the next two spots.

Daniel and Legacy were fourth in 66.38 seconds, with Jordan and For Gold next best with a time of 66.49 seconds.

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