This Friday sees the Irish senior show jumping team in action at Hickstead for what will be their last competitive nations cup engagement before Dublin Horse Show. 

Cian O’Connor is hoping the celebrations that greeted the arrival on Wednesday of a second child, Cara Louise, to him and his wife Ruth will continue this weekend at the Global Champions Tour (GCT) final in Doha, Qatar.

Ireland show jumping manager Robert Splaine underwent surgery for a broken wrist this week, but Taylor Vard, his stand in for tomorrow’s Furusiyya Series nations cup in Ocala, Florida, is upbeat about sending him a nice get-well present.

Irish show jumpers are making their mark at the $9m, 12-week Winter Equestrian Festival in Florida, with Richie Moloney third in Saturday’s grand prix and Darragh Kenny racing to victory in a speed class.

St Flannan’s College, Ennis 1-9 Pobalscoil Sliabh Luachra, Rathmore 1-8: St Flannan’s stunned a fancied Pobalscoil Sliabh Luachra, Rathmore at Rathkeale yesterday in an absorbing Corn Uí Mhuiri quarter-final.

Shane Sweetnam got “two new toys” for Christmas, Buckle Up and Cobolt, but when it comes to fun, Chaqui Z remains the top plaything.

Show jumper Richie Moloney is considering a shot at the World Cup final following his qualifier victory in North Salem, New York on Sunday.

Darragh Kenny was particularly enthusiastic yesterday about his prospects in tomorrow’s $600,000 Global Champions Tour class in Miami, writes John Tynan.

Show jumper Bertram Allen earned the keys to a car yesterday as he continued his drive to break into World top-10 by winning the grand prix at Dortmund, Germany.

Show jumper Greg Broderick continues to make an impression at the HITS Desert Classic in Thermal, California, as he lines up a shot at the AIG $1m Grand Prix tomorrow week.

Irish riders failed to make an impression in Saturday’s $372,000 World Cup grand prix at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Florida, but Darragh Kenny and Conor Swail scored a couple of consolation prizes in the run-up.

Equestrian: Thomas Ryan endured what would typically be a frustrating four faults in the World Cup class at Mechelen on Tuesday.

Show jumper Kevin Babington spent a brief spell in a water jump on Sunday, but he made sure it didn’t dampen his day as he went on to win the $250,000 Hampton Classic in New York.

A pall was cast over the sport of eventing at the weekend with the deaths of two riders while competing.

Days after another stunning success and days before the Irish squad for the World Equestrian Games (WEG) is announced, it’s a case of what will be will be for eventer Aoife Clark.

For the second year in a row, show jumper Richie Moloney won the $34,000 Suncast 1m50 Championship Jumper Classic at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Florida.

Shane Sweetnam may have offloaded his top ride last year, but that does not mean he is ready to relinquish his position as a stalwart of the Irish team.

Single errors for both Denis Lynch and tyro Bertram Allen kept the Irish duo out of the shake-up in the grand prix in Lyon, France, yesterday.

Sam Watson proved best of the Irish at the European Eventing Championships in Malmo, Sweden, placing 21st, as the team finished seventh of 10 countries.

Ireland eventing manager Nick Turner conceded he “had to make a few difficult phonecalls in the last few days” as he finalised his squad for next month’s European Championships.

Shane Sweetnam believes his 11-year-old mare Siri will be out for up to a year after injuring her tendon in the US nations cup in Florida on Friday night.

Robert Splaine is hoping the team that placed second in last year’s US nations cup will get his new term as manager off to a good start today when they line out in Florida.

Show jumper Denis Lynch is almost assured of a place in the Rolex World Cup final following his second place in the qualifier in Leipzig yesterday.

“So far, so good,” was the typically understated response from Shane Sweetnam as he continued his run of good form in the opening week of the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival in Florida.

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 leapt into the history books yesterday when he brought show jumping to Croke Park for the first time.

Cork show jumper Billy Twomey is recovering in Germany following planned surgery on his back to repair discs.

Back-to-back wins in the Gain/Alltech Autumn League have moved Eddie Moloney alongside Cian O’Connor at the top of the leaderboard with just the final remaining.

“I’m over the moon. It’s fantastic,” said Ireland show jumping manager Robert Splaine after his team captured the Aga Khan Trophy with aplomb at the Discover Ireland Dublin Horse Show yesterday.

Ireland's show-jumpers have won the Aga Khan trophy for the first time in eight years at the Dublin Horse Show at the RDS.

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.

Ireland’s eventing pony riders lifted double gold and a bronze medal at the European Championships in Fontainebleau, France, yesterday to crown a magnificent weekend for Irish equestrian sport.

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

With a couple of last-place finishes this season and lying bottom of the FEI Top League, Ireland’s show jumpers pulled off a surprise yesterday with victory in the nations cup in Hickstead, England.

It wouldn’t come as a big surprise to find that Ireland show jumping manager Robert Splaine is putting the controversy over Denis Lynch behind him, and he would be forgiven for, briefly, taking his focus off the Olympics today, as he aims to engineer a get-out-of-jail performance in Hickstead.

Ireland is almost certain to have a dressage rider at the Olympics, with Anna Merveldt the likely contender.

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

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.

What proved a special weekend at Ballindenisk is set to be given the Olympic seal today when the FEI publishes the list of individual riders who have qualified for London.