MICHAEL Blake’s Irish Show Jumping team of Daniel Coyle, Andrew Bourns, Shane Sweetnam and Conor Swail have taken a commanding victory in Sunday night’s five-star Longines FEI Nations Cup at Langley, British Columbia in Canada.
Heavy rain before and during the competition did little to dampen Irish spirits, as they took the lead at the halfway stage and held it through to the finish. Derry’s Daniel Coyle was first to go with the Ariel Grange-owned ‘Legacy’ and they finished with one fence down for four faults. Ireland then took control with two clears in quick succession from Galway’s Andrew Bourns with the Irish Sport Horse ‘Sea Topblue’, owned by QBS Equestrian and from Cork’s Shane Sweetnam with another Irish Sport Horse, ‘James Kann Cruz’ owned by Gizmo Partners.
County Down’s Conor Swail was last to go for the Irish in the first round with ‘Count Me In’, owned by Sandy Lupton and Mannon Farm and they finished with four faults to leave Ireland on a first round score of four faults – five faults ahead of Australia, who were in second at that stage.
Coyle and ‘Legacy’ got Ireland off to a perfect start in the second round with a clear. Andrew Bourns then completed a brilliant double clear round with ‘Sea Topblue’ (ISH), which put Ireland within touching distance of victory. Sweetnam then sealed the Irish win, when he came home with just a time fault, meaning World Number five Conor Swail didn’t need to jump in the second round, as Ireland could not be beaten on a two-round total of five faults. Mexico finished as runners-up on 13 faults, while Austrailia finished third on 22 faults.
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