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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Eight combinations out of the 28 starters jumped clear in the first round.

It wasn’t until the final three riders – all former winners of the Queen’s Cup – that the jump-off really took off. Two-time winner Ireland’s David Simpson came in on new ride Flashback VL and shaved more than 2 seconds off Sammie-Jo Coffin’s leading time.

Shane Breen and Haya went clear in 37.42secs with only Harriet Biddick, a winner of the class in 2017 on Galway Bay Jed left to jump with Night of Glory OL.

Despite their best effort, crossing the line clear in 38.49 seconds, they were forced to concede the win to Breen and Haya.

It was a fourth success in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup for Breen, having claimed the prize in 2008, 2013, 2022 and now 2023. He just one win short of the late Liz Edgar’s record of five wins in total.

Paying tribute to his willing partner, Haya, Hickstead-based Shane Breen said:

“This one’s maybe better, because it’s Haya’s second time winning. I thought it’d be nice if she could do the double, and that’s why I chose to keep her for this class. I have a great respect for her – she’s such a nice mare, in every way. She’s so careful, and just an incredible horse to have.”

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Stockholm Hearts field Peder Fredricson, Olivier Philippaerts, Nicola Philippaerts, Malin Baryard Johnsson, Lillie Keenan and Lily Attwood (U25) again this year.

Valkenswaard United, second in 2022’s GCL Super Cup, will have new-signing Olivier Lazarus joining John Whitaker, Marcus Ehning, Edwina Tops-Alexander, Andre Thieme and talented U25 rider Gilles Thomas.

Rome Gladiators bring in Irish duo Michael Duffy and Trevor Breen along with Jos Verlooy to join Shane Breen, Beth Underhill and Nina Mallevaey (U25).

Other changes

Shanghai Swans have signed up German Daniel Deusser to boost their squad; Olympic Gold Medalist Laura Kraut transfers to Madrid In Motion; Dutch Champion Frank Schuttert joins Georgina Bloomberg’s New York Empire; St Tropez Pirates have a huge shake-up, signing 4 new riders Angelica Augustsson Zanotelli, Katrin Eckermann, Simon Delestre and Marlon Modolo Zanotelli; Jur Vrieling switches to Jennifer Gates’ team, Paris Panthers, while there will be a brand new team for 2023 called Riyadh Blue.

Denis Lynch will be in the New York Empire squad; Tom Wachman is with Mexico Amigos, while his brother Tom is the U25 rider with Cannes Stars; Mark McAuley is part of the Madrid In Motion squad and Jeremy Sweetnam will compete with Monaco Aces.

Jan Tops, President of the LGCT and GCL, said:

“We are thrilled to announce the exciting line-up of the 16 teams for 2023. It will take exceptional team performances to win the GCL Finals and the GCL Super Cup, with incredible prize money on offer. With fantastic U25 talent in the GCL, we continue giving young riders the opportunity to shine at our unique world-class venues.”

The individual championship of the Longines Global Champions Tour will see winners of each LGCT Grand Prix booking a place in the LGCT Super Grand Prix with a €1.25m purse.

GCL kicks off in Doha on 2 – 4 March 2023.

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In a class where just one fence separated the top six teams at the finish, Meath’s Alexander Butler was Ireland’s pathfinder. Butler and Chilli B finished with four faults picked up at the second last fence.

Galway’s Andrew Bourns with Sea Topblue (ISH) also came home with four faults, with the the last part of the combination their only fence to fall.

Tipperary’s Shane Breen  gave Ireland a huge boost with a perfect clear round with the 9-year-old stallion Vistogrand.

Twenty-year-old Jack Ryan from Kilkenny was last to go for Ireland in the first round and came home with eight faults with the Irish Sport Horse BBS McGregor. 

That left Ireland in a share of third place with Belgium and Brazil on eight faults at the halfway stage. France and Germany shared the lead on four faults while hosts Britain were on 12 faults in sixth with Sweden in seventh on 20 faults.

Second Round

In the second round, Butler and Chilli B repeated their first round score of four faults.

Bourns and The Irish Sport Horse Sea Topblue produced a brilliant clear round to keep Ireland still within one fence of the leaders.

Shane Breen and Vistogrand had one fence down for four faults. With one rider remaining for each team, Germany had taken the outright lead, while France and Brazil were close behind in second.

Jack Ryan and the 10-year-old gelding BBS McGregor (ISH) produced an outstanding clear as last to go for Ireland and that left Michael Blake’s team on a final score of 12 faults.

Belgium also finished on 12 but a faster time saw them take fourth while Ireland finished fifth. Three second round clears for Britain saw them stay on their first round score of 12 faults to finish sixth, while Sweden finished seventh on a 36 fault total.

Germany had a chance to win if their last rider jumped clear but when Philipp Weishaupt had a fence down with Asathir, Germany would go into a three-way jump-off with France and Brazil who all finished on eight faults.

France eventually took the winners trophy with the fastest clear of the jump-off while Germany finished second and Brazil took third.

Ireland’s fifth place finish in Hickstead means they collect 70 league points, moving them up to 220 points and are now in equal seventh place on the Europe Division 1 league table with one round remaining.

Ireland’s last opportunity to gain points in Europe Division 1 will be in their home Nations Cup at the Dublin Horse Show for the Aga Khan Trophy on August 19th, after which the top seven teams in Europe Division 1 will qualify for the Barcelona finale.

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Ireland were pushed all the way by the United Arab Emirates who finished as runners-up on four faults. Britain finished third of the seven teams that competed on 17 faults.

The in-form combination of Shane Breen and the Team Z7-owned Z7 Ipswich were first to go for Ireland in the opening round. They completed the course inside the time allowed but picked up four faults at the water.

Twenty-year-old Jack Ryan from Co Kilkenny and BBS McGregor produced an immaculate clear round to keep Ireland among the early pace-setters.

Derry’s David Simpson and Foudre F added another clear to put Ireland in a strong position with one rider left to go in the first round.

Anchor rider Trevor Breen put Ireland on a zero score when he and Highland President jumped clear. Ireland led at the halfway stage as the only team on a zero score. The home team from the UAE was second on four faults.

Double clears for Ryan and Simpson

In the second round, UAE’s Abdullah Mohd Al Marri, jumped clear. However Shane Breen then matched his performance with an excellent clear with Z7 Ipswich to keep Ireland with a one fence advantage over the hosts.

Another clear from the second UAE rider Hamad Ali Al Kirbi kept them on a four fault score before Jack Ryan and BBS McGregor produced a double clear.

Ali Hamad Al Kirbi produced another clear for the UAE, meaning the home team would finish on a two round total of just four faults with three second round clears.

Ireland needed a clear from one of their two remaining riders to take victory. David Simpson completed a brilliant double clear performance with Foudre F meaning Ireland could not be beaten.

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The Michael Blake-managed team of Shane Breen, Eoin McMahon, Jason Foley and Michael G Duffy finished on a two-round total of just four fault to take the competition ahead of Denmark, Britain and Germany in second, third and fourth places respectively.

The victorious Irish team, which delivered three clears in the second round, included three riders under the age of 25 as well as two Irish Sport Horses. It really was thrilling and like a great hand of blackjack on Gclub.

Ireland was drawn first to go in the five-team competition in the eastern Norwegian venue where a Shane Carey-managed Ireland side had also won the 2019 Nations Cup.

Shane Breen, who won Friday’s featured class at the venue, was pathfinder for Michael Blake’s men as the experienced Hickstead-based rider and Z7 Ipswich went clear. In the second round the Tipperary rider had one down, a score which ultimately was the discard score in the final round.

Clare’s Eoin McMahon and Chacon 2 completed their first round with just four faults and were then clear in the second.

Jason Foley and the Martin Egan-owned Castlefield Vegas were perfectly clear in both rounds as the 2018 European Under-18 (Junior) Show Jumping Champion put pressure on the other competing teams.

Michael G Duffy and Lapuccino 2, the anchor combination for Ireland, had four faults in round one, before producing a clear in the second.

Speaking afterwards, Irish manager Michael Blake was delighted with how his team performed, stating:

“Shane got us off to a great start and then Eoin’s horse went a bit green in front of the double for some reason and he looked at it a little again in the second round but Eoin did a great job with him. Jason was superb, his first Nations Cup and only 19 years of age, he was incredible. Michael was really unlucky in the first round and got a deserved clear when last to go. The team really pulled together in the second round with three clear rounds in-a-row.”

The victorious team manager continued:

“This was our sixth win this week at this show. All of the riders who came here including Harry Allen and Jack Ryan who won the Derby did a fantastic job and we have won the Grand Prix and the Nations Cup three times here in the last four years. Some of the lads bypassed other competitions here to target the Nations Cup and they deserve enormous credit. We didn’t come to take part, we came to take over and that is what we did.”

Ireland finished in the runner-up spot in the Czech Nations Cup in Prague last weekend with an entirely different team.

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