Ireland’s show jumpers joined the Netherlands, Germany, the US, Belgium and Portugal in failing to make the second round of the five-star Promotional League Nations Cup at Gijon, Spain, on Saturday.

Para-Olympian Helen Kearney showed she has what it takes yesterday, when placing third in her grade on the second day of the team equestrian competition in London.

Cian O'Connor brought his Olympic bronze medal winning horse Blue Loyd out for this evening's Longines Grand Prix climax to the Discover Ireland Dublin Horse Show, and took home €30,000 for a third place finish.

The show jumping community at Millstreet International Horse Show was yesterday basking in the sun and Cian O’Connor’s Olympic bronze medal-winning performance.

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

Show jumper Denis Lynch last night qualified for tomorrow’s showdown at the World Cup finals in ’s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands.

Meath show jumper Alexander Butler steered Will Wimble to victory in the 1.45m class at Lummen, Belgium, yesterday, pipping compatriot Trevor Coyle and Jubilee D’Ouilly by two-hundredths of a second.

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.

SHOW jumper Denis Lynch has risen to second in the Rolex World Cup league table following his fifth place with Abbervail van het Dingeshof in Mechelen, Belgium, yesterday.

Denis Lynch moved up to second position in the Rolex FEI World Cup rankings this evening after a fifth place finish in the World Cup competition at Mechelen, Belgium with Thomas Straumann's 11-year-old bay gelding Abbervail van Het Dingeshof.

Jessica Kurten failed to break the 30-year jinx that has denied Irish riders a World Cup win, when finishing equal fourth after today's final competition at Gothenburg, Sweden, but an American-owned Irish-bred horse did claim the runner-up spot.

Jessica Kurten upped her status as favourite to capture the 2008 World Cup in Gothenburg, Sweden, when she streaked home to win tonight's second competition in the weekend series.

JESSICA KÜRTEN got her World Cup challenge off to a good start last night when third in the opening competition in Gothenburg, Sweden.

SHOW Jumping Association of Ireland (SJAI) chairperson Patricia Furlong yesterday described the association’s decision to relinquish control of all international teams to the Equestrian Federation of Ireland (EFI) as a positive development for the sport at grassroots level.

THE plans of Equestrian Federation of Ireland (EFI) secretary general Dan Butler for Irish international participation this year are coming to fruition.

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 Show Jumping Association of Ireland (SJAI) will take the first step in the review of the selection process for senior nations cup teams by holding a meeting on October 10.

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

HARRY MARSHALL has put his grievances with the Irish show jumping selectors aside temporarily and declared himself available for the Samsung Nations Cup Super League final in Barcelona in two weeks.

HARRY MARSHALL yesterday said his forthcoming disciplinary hearing will not prove a distraction as he lines out in today’s Samsung Super League opener in La Baule, France.

THE showjumping community united in sorrow yesterday as one of the sport’s legends, Paul Darragh, was laid to rest.

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

EQUESTRIAN Federation of Ireland (EFI) president, Avril Doyle, yesterday said the current obstacle surrounding the setting up of an umbrella body for equestrianism can only be overcome by the man at the centre of the dispute, Michael Dowling.

IRELAND won the Aachen Nations Cup in Germany yesterday afternoon — though they had to wait until the competition’s last rider knocked the last fence to claim victory.

THE Show Jumping Association of Ireland (SJAI) selectors have made the prudent decision to nominate Trevor Coyle ahead of Jessica Kürten for the Gothenburg World Cup Show in Sweden next week.

The Show Jumping Association of Ireland is to set up a committee to investigate the objection made by Conor Swail to the result of this year’s outdoor grand prix league.