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Ireland back in Super League for 2008
Participation in the Samsung Super League with FEI is reserved for the best eight teams in the world, and Ireland has gained re-entry to this exclusive club after a year spent in relegation. Throughout 2007 Irish Team Manager Robert Splaine assembled squads to compete in a total of 12 Nations Cups, and a second place in Florida and early wins in Austria, Poland, Norway and Belgium established Ireland as the series leader, a position that subsequently proved unassailable, despite the best efforts of Denmark and Italy, who were also in top form and challenging for a place in the 2008 Super League. Today Robert Splaine said: "This is a culmination of the effort, hard work and team spirit put in by the riders involved. They were a pleasure to work with, and I would like to sincerely thank them, their owners, and all who helped me along the way. "It is my hope that in 2008 we’ll be in a better position within the Super League than we were in 2006, when we spent most of the year struggling to avoid relegation. "We are stronger and more determined after having to fight our way back to the top, but the Super League is where we want to be, even though it is very tough, and I know we will have a challenging year ahead." Charles Powell, Equestrian Federation of Ireland President added: "I'd like to sincerely congratulate all those who participated in the Nations Cup series this year, and who helped Ireland re-establish its place in the Super League. As well as those who actually competed, particular tribute must go to Team Manager Robert Splaine and the EFI Jumping Committee for their hard work and dedication. I wish everyone the best for the 2008 Super League season." Statistics for 2007 show that Ireland's star performers in the Nations Cup Series were Cian O'Connor, Conor Swail, Cmdt. Gerry Flynn and Capt. Shane Carey, who between them accounted for a total of 31 clear rounds and ten double clear rounds. Other riders who produced clear rounds during 2007 included Ryan Crumley, Marion Hughes, Denis Lynch, Shane Breen and Edward Doyle, while Darragh Kerins produced a double clear in Wellington, Florida at the start of the season. Capt. Shane Carey holds the record for selection on the greatest number of teams - during 2007 he attended eight Nations Cup shows in total, with Cian O'Connor and Comdt. Gerry Flynn sharing second place, each appearing on seven Irish teams. The lowest-scoring team in the Samsung with FEI Super League is relegated at the end of each year to the FEI Nations Cup Series. The top-scoring team in the FEI Nations Cup Series is then promoted to the Super League. Ireland topped the FEI Nations Cup Series in 2007 with a total of 86 points, compared to Denmark's 72 and Italy's 63. The final 2007 FEI Nations Cup competition is due to take place in Buenos Aires in early November, but the outcome cannot now affect Ireland's healthy lead in the series. Ireland Take Belgian Nations' Cup, Leads World in Wins The Irish show jumping produced its most convincing win of the 2007 season at Lummen, Belgium today (Friday) when defeating 11 other teams to take the Nations’ Cup, its fourth victory in the current series. Afterwards Team Manager Robert Splaine said: "We went in here today with the pressure of being favourites, but our riders dealt with this like the professionals they are. We had three Nations’ Cups wins behind us, and today makes it four. No other country in the world has won four Nations’ Cups this year. Our team did a fanstastic job against strong opposition. I cannot praise them highly enough." Ireland’s performance at Lummen yielded four first round clears, and a total of two double clear rounds from Meath-based Cian O’Connor on 'Irish Independent Echo Beach' and Army rider Lt. Shane Carey on 'River Foyle' - both Irish-bred horses. Co. Down’s Conor Swail on 'Rivaal' jumped the first round clear but didn't need to jump in the second round. Ireland's only female rider, Marion Hughes, jumped clear in the first round with 'Heritage Transmission' but lowered one pole second time out to give Ireland its only mistake of the competition. Today's result more than consolidates Ireland's current position at the top of the FEI Nations' Cup rankings, with a new total of 67 points. Show Jumping Results: Nations' Cup of Belgium 1) IRELAND 4 faults 2) GERMANY 8 faults 12 nations competed Ireland Wins Norway Nations Cup After Tight Finish IRELAND were triumphant on the last day (Sunday) of the four-star show in Drammen, Norway, with victory in both the Norway Nations' Cup and the Drammen Grand Prix. In a tightly-fought finish, Ireland shared first place in the Nations' Cup with Norway, both teams finishing on eight faults. But Team Manager Robert Splaine sent Malahide-based Conor Swail out to do battle on 'Rivaal' against Norway's Geir Gulliksen on Meanwhile, due to heavy rain on Saturday, the Norway Grand Prix was decided by a jump-off of all riders who had scored a double clear round in the Nations' Cup today. This left Ireland's Comdt. Gerry Flynn and the Irish-bred 'Mo Chroi' competing against Norway's Stein Endresen and the Netherlands's Henk van de Pol, but once again the
Irish rider proved too good for the opposition, jumping clear in the fastest time.
Afterwards Team manager Robert Splaine said: "It was a great day for Ireland - we had first and second in the speed class this morning, we won the Nations' Cup, and then we won the Grand Prix. There was a great team spirit, and I have to say it is a pleasure to work with these lads, they are of the highest calibre, and today it certainly showed."
Show Jumping Results: Competition CSIO 3, FEI Nations Cup of Norway presented by OKK 1) IRELAND 8 faults (won on jump-off) 2) NORWAY 8 faults Splaine Does a Millstreet Double A Triumphant Robert Splaine made it a double at the Green Glens arena in Millstreet, Co. Cork today (Sunday) with a back-to-back Grand Prix win on the redoubtable 17 year-old 'Clarion Hotels Coolcorron Cool Diamond'.
The Cork-born Irish team manager added to his victory at Millstreet on Friday when he brought his stallion across the beam today with a comfortable gap of over two seconds ahead of fellow international Jumping Committee member James Kernan on 'Boeing', in the 9000 euro Peddinghaus Corporation Grand Prix.
"You can't beat the Irish-bred," enthused Splaine after his win. "This horse has now jumped 200 clear fences in the league. He had one down in Ballinamona, but we were placed there, nevertheless. He is simply an amazing guy."
Today's victory brings Splaine into joint first place with Conor Swail in the Boswell Equestrian Grand Prix League, on a total of 89 points. But Splaine's imminent departure for the World Equestrian Games in Germany will give Co. Down-born Swail, who dropped two fences in today's jump-off, a chance to recapture his unchallenged pole position in the weekends ahead.
Capt. Shane Carey improved on Friday's fourth place at Millstreet on 'African Drumwith' a third today, while Peter Smyth slotted 'Rolo Tomasiinto' fourth. Mark Flynn lowered one fence in the eight-horse jump-off to finish in fifth with 'Ballinclover Boy', while Richie Moloney had a similar fate with 'Oferro', to claim sixth position.
Peddinghaus Corporation, today's Grand Prix sponsor, is an international machine tools manufacturer, with its headquarters in
Illinois, USA.
Boswell Grand Prix League action continues at Cavan and Limerick next weekend.
SHOW JUMPING RESULT - BOSWELL EQUESTRIAN NATIONAL GRAND PRIX LEAGUE
RESULT: Millstreet 1m50 Super League Grand Prix 1) Clarion Hotels Coolcorron Cool Diamond (Owner: Rider) Robert Splaine Faults 0/0 43.03 33 starters, eight through to jump-off.
BOSWELL EQUESTRIAN NATIONAL GRAND PRIX LEAGUE LEADERBOARD
=1) Conor Swail - 89 Splaine is the Man in Millstreet If Robert Splaine is feeling the pressure of his job as Irish team
manager then he wasn't showing it today as he raced to his fourth
victory in the Boswell League series when topping the IIB
Bank-sponsored 1.40m Grand Prix at Millstreet in Cork.
The man from Belgooly near Cork City has enjoyed a remarkable season
with his stallion Clarion Hotels Coolcorron Cool Diamond who has been
prominently placed at all of his eight Boswell League outings this
season. Apart from their four wins, the partnership have been
runners-up on two occasions and recorded a second and fifth placing as
well, proving great ambassadors for the hotel group which has expanded
its chain to 21 locations around Ireland.
Today was a particularly tough one as Alan Wade's course-building saw
only six out of a colossal starting field of 66 finding all the answers
to his first round track. "It was a good, technical course" Splaine
said afterwards, "the fences were all on related distances and there
was an open water, the turn after the water was tricky and the distance
to the last proved difficult." It was this final fence that proved the
undoing of many who returned with just four faults on the board.
The cream came to the top however in the class sponsored by IIB which
is part of the major European based KBC Bank and Insurance Group which
is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium and which is one of the leading
providers of financial services in Ireland with offices in Dublin,
Cork, Galway and Belfast. The classy jump-off line-up included
Splaine, Clem McMahon who won the Leading National Rider title at last
week's Failte Ireland Dublin Horse Show, army riders Comdt Gerry Flynn
and Capt Shane Carey, Kilkenny man Eddie Moloney and Thomas O'Brien who
won the Dublin training bursary.
Flynn led the way against the clock with Mo Chroi and set the standard
with a clear in 36.36 seconds but, second to go, Moloney had two down
with John McDonald's Chatsworth Dan. O'Brien, from Athenry in Galway
and a rising talent in Irish show jumping who is only in his first year
at Grand Prix level, also faulted twice with Silver Sir while Carey and
the promising African Drum were seriously challenging for the lead
until picking up four faults as they tried for a new line after the
second element of the double. McMahon got the angle just right here to
take over at the head of affairs with the Blue on Blue syndicate's
Hermes de Reve who crossed the line with a three-second advantage over
Flynn, but the Monaghan rider was demoted to runner-up spot when
Splaine scorched in with his stallion almost a half-second quicker.
Conor Swail, whose three rides all failed to make it into the jump-off
today, still heads the Boswell Grand Prix League table with 89 points
on the board while Francis Connors lies second with 76, but Splaine is
moving closer all the time and is only two points behind Connors going
into Sunday's 1.50m Super Grand Prix which has a prizefund of €9,000.
SHOW JUMPING RESULT - BOSWELL EQUESTRIAN NATIONAL GRAND PRIX LEAGUE
RESULT: Millstreet 1.40m Grand Prix 1) Clarion Hotels Coolcorron Cool Diamond (Owner: Rider) Robert Splaine
Faults 0/0 32.73 66 starters, 6 through to jump-off.
BOSWELL EQUESTRIAN NATIONAL GRAND PRIX LEAGUE 1) Conor Swail - 89 Splaine Makes It Two At Tattersalls Riding his own Clarion Hotels Coolcorron Cool Diamond the Corkman pinned the ever-consistent Conor Swail into both second and third places while last Sunday's winners, Sarah-Kate Quinlivan and Newmarket Girl, finished fourth.
The Tattersalls Sales Complex at Fairyhouse is the Irish home of the
world-renowned bloodstock auction house which offers approximately
8,000 horses each year from its bases in Newmarket in England and
Fairyhouse in Ireland, and this afternoon's €6,000 prizefund was
offered in association with the Ward Union Hunt Club.
Many riders have their minds firmly focused on Dublin Horse Show at
this stage of the summer of season so early faults over Tom Holden's
tough first-round track that included a water jump and a wall, along
with a stiff line from the combination to the following planks, saw
many of the 33 starters retire in order to save their steeds. However
nine went into the jump-off and, second in against the clock, Shane
Breen looked like setting a really difficult target with his own and
James Breen's Dorada until hitting one to return a four-fault result in
30.93 seconds. Next into the ring, Conor Swail and Sam McQuade's
Drumagoland Flight took the lead when clear although three seconds
slower, but their advantage was short-lived when Splaine and his
Irish-bred stallion galloped across the line with the clock showing a
time of 32.22 seconds.
Long-time league leader Francis Connors is under no pressure with a
20-point gap separating the Waterford man from his nearest rival Clem
McMahon at this latter stage of the series and he casually brought
Highfort Stud's Merlin's Magic home and clear in 35.60 seconds to
guarantee a top-six placing. Sarah-Kate Quinlivan followed him into
the ring with Billy Daly's super-fast Newmarket Girl but she also
decided to take no chances when crossing the line 34.34 and this proved
good enough for fourth place when Swail secured third with a good run
from Norman Allen's Alaska who broke the beam in 33.98 seconds.
So the final line-up saw Splaine at the head of affairs with Swail in
second and third places and Quinlivan in fourth, Connors in fifth and
Breen in sixth while on the league table Swail has moved up to third
behind McMahon. Splaine meanwhile has worked his way into the top ten
and he was well-pleased with his horse's performance today. "I was
delighted with him" he said of Clarion Hotels Coolcorron Cool Diamond,
"my horse is in top-class condition and its great to get a result like
this" but he acknowledged that the Failte Ireland Dublin Horse Show is
not on his agenda over the next few weeks. "I'll be working on the
ground in Dublin so I can't ride him there" said the man whose next big
task is to lead the Irish team into the next leg of the Samsung Super
League series at Hickstead next Friday.
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IT WAS today (Tuesday) confirmed by the FEI (Federation Equestre Internationale) that Ireland's show jumpers will be promoted to the elite Samsung Super League in 2008, replacing France, who will now compete only in the FEI Nations Cup Series.
Irish show jumping team manager Robert Splaine scored his second victory in the Boswell Grand Prix League series when heading the line-up at Tattersalls in County Meath today.
