Euro Stallions has got off to a flying start, supplying horse semen to the domestic and foreign markets, writes Trish Dromey.

A beaming British show jumping manager Rob Hoekstra declared “we love this trophy” after his team yesterday claimed the famed ‘Aga Khan’ at the Discover Ireland Dublin Horse Show.

Defending champions St Patrick’s have to go the qualifier route in Wicklow’s senior football championship after shipping a heavy defeat at Aughrim yesterday.

Swiss-based show jumper Niall Talbot won the grand prix in Lisbon yesterday with Nicos de la Cense to round off a successful weekend for the Irish in the Portuguese capital.

The impending change of chairman at Horse Sport Ireland has impacted on the second round of interviews for the Irish show jumping manager’s job.

Insurance is the biggest issue facing ShowjumpingIreland, according to Munster Region chairman Tony Hurley, after a quadrupling of the association’s premium to €625,000 for 2013.

Olympic bronze medallist Cian O'Connor won his second major class of the week at the London International Horse Show today.

Ireland show jumping team manager Robert Splaine believes Cian O’Connor’s bronze medal-winning performance in London will be a springboard for greater Olympic success.

Katie Taylor had her Bray bash, John Joe Nevin was feted in Mullingar, while Paddy Barnes and Michael Conlan got the red carpet treatment in Belfast.

The weather wasn’t quite stable but it took more than the threat of biblical-style floods to deter Ireland’s equestrian community who braved tumultuous downpours to attend the opening day of the 139th Dublin Horse Show at the RDS in Ballsbridge.

“This means everything to me. This bronze medal is worth much more than the gold I won in Athens,” said Cian O’Connor last night after his stunning performance in London yesterday with Blue Loyd.

Cian O'Connor has qualified for the final round of the individual show jumping final on his horse Blue Loyd.

Cian O’Connor is clinging to a slim hope he will line out in tomorrow’s show jumping final, despite failing to make it through yesterday’s third round.

Irish showjumper Keith Doyle today became only the third male rider to win Hickstead's prestigious Templant Events Queen Elizabeth II Cup.

Eventing rider Sam Watson pulled off a stunning recovery to finish eighth in the three-star at Saumur, France, yesterday.

Denis Lynch has Lantinus and All Inclusive to choose from in the first round of tomorrow’s Global Champions Tour in Doha, Qatar, though yesterday he had yet to decide which horse to use.

Niche Market, winner of the 2009 Irish Grand National, has been retired.

Cian O’Connor laid down an early marker in his bid to represent Ireland at the Olympics with a double clear in the US nations cup on Friday night.

WITH the battle for individual places at the Olympics intensifying, Billy Twomey achieved an important fourth place in the lucrative grand prix at Basel, Switzerland, yesterday.

GLENEALY had to withstand a late goal rush by Carnew to secure their 12th SHC title at Aughrim yesterday.

DECLAN CULLEN claimed the feature three-star class at the Johnson & Perrott Land Rover International Horse Trials in Ballindenisk, Co Cork, yesterday.

DENIS LYNCH continues to speed on with Night Train, placing second in yesterday’s 1.50m jump-off class at the Global Champions Tour (GCT) show in Valkenswaard, the Netherlands.

THERE are growing fears that nothing has gone right for Cork in a sporting sense since the visit of a certain royal tourist to the city last May.

BRITAIN’S Nick Skelton revealed the secret of his jump-off win against Ireland yesterday in a thrilling Nations Cup contest at the Discover Ireland Dublin Horse Show — a pint of Bulmers.

Nick Skelton delivered a masterful display under intense pressure as Great Britain’s showjumpers won the Dublin round of this year’s FEI Nations Cup series today.

In a 36-strong starting field that boasted some of the world's top riders, Ireland claimed two top ten spots in this afternoon's Longines Grand Prix at St. Gallen in Switzerland.

Niche Market was handed a 33-1 quote from William Hill for next year’s Aintree Grand National after springing a surprise for Bob Buckler in the Powers Whiskey-sponsored Irish version at Fairyhouse.

AN ancient Chinese theory that the number 8 is lucky didn’t totally hold out for the brave Irish in the Aga Khan Trophy which Britain won at the Fáilte Ireland Dublin Horse Show yesterday.

There was huge disappointment for Ireland’s show jumpers at finishing second in yesterday’s nations cup at the Fáilte Dublin Horse Show.

Tipperary-born Denis Lynch rounded off a superb Irish weekend at the five-star show in La Baule, France with a decisive win in the Grand Prix this afternoon, taking the winner's prize purse of

SHOW JUMPER Jessica Kürten partied in the Dubai Desert last night after winning show jumping’s richest prize.

JESSICA KÜRTEN is to test the goodwill of the Irish show jumping selectors with a request for slots in forthcoming World Cup qualifiers.

ERNIE ELS flew over the site at Hangman’s Point near Kinsale and was so enthused with what he witnessed, he immediately made favourable comparisons with Pebble Beach.

SOUTH African golfer Ernie Els spent the weekend in Ireland looking over the sites for his proposed courses at Kinsale, Co Cork, and Kilmore Quay, Co Wicklow.

AS IN Leipzig last week, showjumper Jessica Kurten yesterday saw her World Cup effort falter in the opening round in Amsterdam.

THE Show Jumping Association of Ireland (SJAI) plans to set up a stewarding system at shows to “deter any misdemeanours which may cast a slur upon the sport”.

Cian O'Connor, the grandson of Irish rugby great Dr Karl Mullen, choked back the tears as Amhran na bhFiann rang out around the Markopoulo centre tonight, singling the end of Ireland's Athens medal drought.

Cian O’Connor crowned a superb Olympic debut tonight by clinching the Ireland’s first gold medal of the Athens Olympics with victory in the individual show jumping final.

Jessica Kuerten sits joint-first ahead of this evening's individual show jumping final at Athens' Markopoulo centre after a stunning clear round on ten-year-old mare Castle Forbes Maike.

Ireland's show jumpers put in an impressive display in last night's Olympic team final, as Jessica Kuerten's inspired clear round saw them rise two places to seventh under the floodlights of the Markopoulo centre.