Show jumper Paul Beecher has urged riding centres to be extra vigilant after €20,000 of his tack was stolen as he filmed a documentary last Monday.

Irish show jumpers notched up a hat-trick in Barcelona at the weekend, while 10th place for Denis Lynch in the penultimate leg of the Global Champions Tour in Vienna has left the Tipperary rider fourth on the leaderboard.

Nobody, with due respect to dressage rider Anna Merveldt, would expect her to win a medal in the Olympics... least of all herself.

The temperature in Rome was high yesterday, matched by the spirit in the Irish camp, if Billy Twomey is any sort of barometer.