Clare-born Marie Burke took a third place in the Grand Prix Qualifier at Mannheim, Germany today (Friday) with her Irish- bred stallion Chippison.

IRELAND’S show jumpers are in seventh place as they enter the first nations cup of the European Championships in Mannheim, Germany, today.

PAUL O’SHEA is 10 points behind leader Clem McMahon in the Atec Premier Series with only two rounds remaining and is surprised to be there.

SHOW JUMPERS Shane Breen and Marie Burke completed an Irish double at the Longines Royal International Horse Show in Hickstead at the weekend.

Shane Breen and Dorada completed an Irish double at Hickstead as they pipped Ellen Whitaker and her specialist horse Henri de Herne for the £3,000 first prize in the Sky Sports Speed Classic at the Longines Royal International Horse Show.

Ireland's Marie Burke and her 14 year-old Irish-bred stallion 'Chippison' claimed victory in today's big Longines Classic at the Hickstead show in England.

THE announcement on Monday of the Irish nations cup quintet for the Fáilte Ireland Dublin Horse Show (August 8-12) allows the chance for a more educated guess as to the make-up of the squad for the European Championships, which take place the following week.

IRELAND’S show jumpers were in superb form at Barcelona yesterday, giving team manager Robert Splaine cause for optimism ahead of Sunday’s crucial Samsung Super League final.

CONOR SWAIL won the Boswell Grand Prix League on a fitting note yesterday when victorious in the penultimate round at Iverk Show, Piltown, Co Kilkenny.

MARIE BURKE failed in her bid for WEG glory when going out in the penultimate round on Saturday.

IRISH show jumper Marie Burke was upbeat last night ahead of the penultimate round of the World Equestrian Games (WEG) in Aachen, Germany, today.

IRELAND’S show jumpers yesterday scraped into the last round of the team contest at the World Equestrian Games at Aachen, Germany today when placing 10th.

MARIE BURKE, riding Chippison, proved an able replacement for Cian O’Connor yesterday when best of the Irish on the opening day of show jumping at the World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany.

SHOWJUMPER Marie Burke hopes her third place in yesterday’s Longines Grand Prix at the Fáilte Ireland Dublin Horse Show will earn her a place in Ireland’s World Equestrian Games (WEG) squad.

AN air of expectation more so than optimism permeated the select group at the Equestrian Federation of Ireland’s (EFI) presentation of its jumping committee last Monday.

ROBERT SPLAINE was yesterday officially installed as the manager to the Irish showjumping team and he said his priorities were to stay in the Samsung Nations Cup Super League and to finish in the top five of September’s World Equestrian games, thus qualifying for the Bejing Olympics.

JESSICA KÜRTEN emerged this week as the number two ranked show jumper in the world. No mean feat, it came as little surprise following her string of wins against the sport’s elite, including victory in the Dubai Grand Prix, the world’s richest show jumping contest.

JOHN LEDINGHAM and Robert Splaine are, as expected, the two front-runners for the post of Chef d’Equipe of the Irish Show jumping team following a meeting of riders and management in Dublin yesterday.

THE chairman of the implementation group charged with setting up an umbrella body for equestrianism hopes to complete the group’s task by Christmas.

EFFORTS to resolve the row that has beset Irish showjumping failed yesterday, with Jessica Kuerten and Harry Marshall declaring themselves unavailable for international team selection.

John Tynan, Equestrian Correspondent

THE withdrawal of Cian O’Connor from the Irish team in next week’s Aachen nations cup can only be described as fate kicking us when we are down.

TURMOIL and recrimination surfaced within the Irish show jumping camp again yesterday, with Harry Marshall the latest rider to pull out of the senior nations cup squad.

THE international show jumping selectors grasped the nettle this week and teamed Jessica Kürten with Cian O’Connor for the nations cup at next month’s Dublin Horse Show.

CIAN O’CONNOR is set to make his first competitive foray abroad since the Olympics and is relishing the prospect.

IRELAND'S showjumpers maintained their Samsung Super League status when placing equal fifth in the finals in Barcelona yesterday.

Ireland's show jumpers gained a good enough finish at the today's Samsung Super League final in Barcelona, Spain, to retain their status in the top-ranking competition for 2005.

SHANE BREEN narrowed the gap on IJM TimberFrame League leader Conor Swail yesterday with victory in the Cahir Grand Prix.

EDWARD DOYLE, one of the riders involved in a row with the Show Jumping Association of Ireland (SJAI) over the sacking of Olympic team trainer Eddie Macken, last night said he was disappointed at the lack of official response to a letter outlining their grievances.

WITH the Olympic year in the offing, chief show jumping selector Peter Leonard is confident Ireland can produce the goods and win the country’s first gold medal in the code.