Ollie Townend set himself up for a crack at a €50,000 bonus with victory yesterday at the Johnson & Perrott Land Rover International Horse Trials in Ballindenisk, Co Cork, on a horse nicknamed Imperial Disaster.

Capt Geoff Curran trained his sights on Ollie Townend at the Johnson & Perrott Land Rover International Horse Trials in Ballindenisk yesterday, ruing that the Briton’s superb performance in the dressage had blown away what would generally be considered a respectable score from the Army officer.

Michael Ryan was his usual assured self yesterday after riding Dromgurrihy Blue to equal 10th in the dressage phase of the Irish Field CCI three-star class at Tattersalls International Horse Trials.