Ireland seventh in Aachen Nations Cup on testing German evening

A difficult night in Aachen, Germany, saw the Irish senior show jumping team finish seventh in the Mercedes Benz five-star Nations Cup tonight (Thursday).

Finishing on a final score of 26 faults, the damage had been done in round one as Ireland went into the break on 20 and the team of Denis Lynch, Tom Wachman, Shane Sweetnam and Cian O’Connor out of contention with the leaders.

The second round did prove to be more settled, with a clear for O’Connor and just two time faults for Wachman the highlights, and the team move on to the five-star Nations Cup of Sweden in Falsterbo next, before the European Championship in La Coruna.

United States of America took the honours with a final tally of four faults, with Belgium in second on eight and Britain filling the podium with a score of 10.

Blake said: “Tough night at the office – we wanted to come and give a better go at defending our crown from last year but it wasn’t to be. Things proved to be very difficult in round one and we just gave ourselves too big of a mountain to climb.

“Obviously all the lads improved in the second round and that’s what we’ll take away from it.

“It’s always very important to learn lessons when things don’t go your way – I think the lads showed plenty of character to keep battling until the end and I was delighted for Tom, who left all poles standing, and Cian who delivered a clear round.”

It wasn’t the start Ireland wanted as Lynch and Vistogrand dropped two poles en route to an eight-fault round, with Wachman and Tabasco De Toxandria Z coming in as second combination.

They were unfortunate to drop a pole at the triple bar before settling down and coming home error-free for four faults and bring Ireland back into the mix.

It started to slip away from Blake’s men as Sweetnam and his Irish Sport Horse James Kann Cruz knocked two at the triple combination for eight faults to leave the team on 12 with just O’Connor to come in round one.

Ireland went into the break on a score of 20 as O’Connor, like Lynch and Sweetnam before him, totalled eight faults with the sun beginning to set on Frank Rothenberger’s course.

Lynch and Vistogrand improved on their first effort in round two, with the open water jump proving the difference between a clear round and four faults, with once again Wachman showing his mettle on Tabasco De Toxandria Z for just two time faults.

Sweetnam and James Kann Cruz were desperately unlucky to not jump clear in round two, with the water again the difference-maker. It had looked as though the pair had cleared the water on first view – and on the replay – with the Corkman checking it himself after his round. Nonetheless, they scored four faults despite a much more comfortable looking round.

There was just O’Connor and Bentley De Sury to come to round things out for Ireland and they provided a silver lining with a brilliant clear round to keep Ireland on a score of 26 and seventh position.

BREEDING
James Kann Cruz (ISH) – 2013 gelding by Kannan out of CSF Telly Cruz by Cruising, bred by Patrick Connolly owned by Gizmo partners LLC. Ridden by Shane Sweetnam.

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