It’s been 15 years since an Irish team won the nations cup at Rotterdam and it’s guaranteed to be 16, as Ireland will not be represented today.

SWALLOWS are still around but most southern migrants have left our shores by now. The wheatears from Iceland, Greenland and Canada, now passing through Ireland on their way to Africa, are ‘the last of the summer wine’.

William Whitaker gave Britain its second feature win in as many days at Millstreet International Horse Show yesterday, but Alexander Butler also laid down a marker ahead of tomorrow’s €50,000 grand prix.

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’s show jumpers are in danger of relegation from the FEI Top League after finishing last in yesterday’s Swedish Nations Cup in Falsterbo.

A “devastated” and distraught Denis Lynch last night said he is considering an appeal against the decision yesterday by Horse Sport Ireland to withdraw his nomination for the Olympics.

DESPITE finishing fifth in yesterday’s Swedish Nations Cup in Falsterbo, Ireland held on to their second place in the FEI Nations Cup League.

DANIELLE McVEIGH faces a mammoth task over the next two days to lift the European Ladies Amateur Team title at Falsterbo in Sweden — but she is still very much in contention for a medal.

DANIELLE MCVEIGH produced a dramatic rearguard action to snatch the Ladies British Open Amateur stroke-play title at Royal Aberdeen yesterday.

IRELAND’S show jumpers fulfilled the promise they proffered all season by winning the Meydan Swedish Nations Cup in Falsterbo yesterday.

A double clear round from Sligo-born Darragh Kerins and Night Train helped Ireland to its first win of the Meydan FEI Nations' Cup at Falsterbo this afternoon.

THE announcement on Monday of the Irish nations cup quintet for the Fáilte Ireland Dublin Horse Show (August 8-12) allows the chance for a more educated guess as to the make-up of the squad for the European Championships, which take place the following week.

THE Irish show jumping team finished last in the Nations Cup at Falsterbo, Sweden, yesterday, graphically realising manager Robert Splaine’s prediction that it would be a tough assignment.

Ireland’s show jumping team manager Robert Splaine is not expecting an easy ride today when his charges line out in the Swedish Nations Cup in Falsterbo.

TWO OF Europe’s greatest bird-watching spectacles are getting under way: raptors cranes and storks are converging on Gibraltar and the Bosporus strait before crossing the sea for Africa, where they will spend the winter.

MARION HUGHES is hoping that a good result in the nations’ cup at next week’s Fáilte Ireland Dublin Horse Show will alleviate the pressure in the Samsung Super League and allow Ireland to focus fully on the World Equestrian Games.

THE announcement of Eddie Macken as Olympic team trainer by the Show Jumping Association of Ireland (SJAI) selectors this week, will, hopefully, bring the curtain down on the unfortunate controversy that had sprung up around the position.

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.