The past weekend was a good one for Irish dressage.

The annual German equestrian festival at Aachen takes centre stage this week with Ireland contesting the showjumping nations cup and dressage rider Judy Reynolds making a long-awaited return to action with her Olympic horse Vancouver K.

Last Sunday’s nations cup in Rotterdam did not involve the Irish team but the result will have a bearing on the country’s league standing up to and including the Aga Khan contest at Dublin Horse Show which is now just over six weeks away.

Next Sunday in the French Nations Cup at La Baule, the Irish team will wear black armbands as a mark of respect to legendary show jumper Tommy Wade who exited the arena of life in his 80th year on Monday.

“You don’t win nations cups without jumping clear rounds and we didn’t jump enough of them,” said Michael Blake after he had seen the Irish show jumping team he managed fall short of repeating last year’s success in Ocala, Florida on Sunday evening.

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. 

Ireland are set to field their strongest show jumping team of the season so far for the Swedish Nations Cup at Falsterbo on Friday.

June has been a remarkable month for Irish riders at the top level of individual competition.

Hopes are high that Ireland’s show jumpers will today repeat last year’s Nations Cup win at Dublin Horse Show and, while manager Robert Splaine was upbeat yesterday, he was saying little that might prove a hostage to fortune.

A double clear from Wexford show jumper Bertram Allen and Izzy By Picobello ensured Valkenswaard United their third win of the season in the Global Champions League team contest in Monte Carlo yesterday.

Ireland is joint second-last in the Furusiyya Nations Cup Series, but it was news to Cian O’Connor yesterday.

Ireland eventing manager Nick Turner believes “there’s a lot to look forward to”, as he announced his squad for September’s European Championships at Blair Castle, Scotland.

Greg Broderick feels the current form of MHS Automatic justifies him being favourite to lift The Underwriting Exchange Grand Prix at tonight’s final of the Jumping In The City Series at Shelbourne Park.

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.

Punchestown may be the focus of attention right now but the spate of serious injuries suffered by jockeys recently is exercising the minds of the experienced pilots in the Weigh Room.

It’s been 12 years since Thomas Ryan last competed at Millstreet International Horse Show, but he made sure his return was memorable yesterday by winning the Hyatt Hotels Grand Prix.

Show jumper Billy Twomey yesterday described himself as "disappointed" after he was replaced by manager Robert Splaine for tomorrow’s crucial nations cup contest at the Discover Ireland Dublin Horse Show.

Ireland’s Trevor Breen claimed a thrilling victory in the Equestrian.com Hickstead Derby yesterday as defending champion Phillip Miller was agonisingly denied a second successive triumph.

Shane Breen was taking a lead from his horse’s name yesterday as he prepared for the first Chinese leg of the Global Champions Tour.

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.

Tipperary rider Shane Breen has high hopes for Zarnita, the nine-year-old mare that gave him his second win in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Hickstead, England, on Saturday.

Britain’s Phillip Miller, riding Caritiar Z, provided the only clear in the Hickstead Derby yesterday to deny Ireland its second successive win in the famed competition, as four faults left Tipperary’s Trevor Breen equal second on the one-eyed Adventure De Kannan.

Austin O’Connor believes the Irish team selected for the eventing nations cup at the World Equestrian Festival in Aachen next week is not without potential.

Showjumping Ireland (SJI) chairman Tony Hurley is optimistic the work of its insurance taskforce will pay dividends and he is “hopeful” of a substantial reduction in the premium for next year.

A win wasn’t part of Vinnie Byrne’s grand design in yesterday’s HSI /Blue Grass Spring Tour at Maryville Equestrian Centre in Cork, so when it came it proved a nice bonus.

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.

Cian O’Connor is already giving indication of another successful partnership, notching up a double with his latest acquisition Walk Tall II on week seven of the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival in Florida.

After seven years making sometimes difficult decisions, Robert Splaine is realistic to know his reappointment as Ireland show jumping manager may not be greeted with unanimous acclaim.

Robert Splaine will use the European Show Jumping Championships in Denmark next August as a test run in his bid to qualify a team for the 2016 Olympics.

It has come as a surprise, even to Showjumping Ireland, that membership and registration figures for January are up, albeit marginally, on the same time last year.

Olympic bronze medallist Cian O’Connor leapt into the history books yesterday when he brought show jumping to Croke Park for the first time.

Laura Collett has enjoyed her first experience of riding Kauto Star as she prepares to assess his suitability for a potential dressage career.

Commandment John Ledingham has given a qualified expression of interest to becoming Ireland’s next show jumping team manager, James Kernan is in no doubt that he would like the role, while Jack Doyle has said he would “give consideration to it”.

Cian O’Connor will give Blue Loyd his first international outing since the Dublin Horse Show when he travels to Caen, France, next week.

Horsey homstead property should have wide appeal, with stables and paddocked acres, Tommy Barker reports

Olympic bronze medallist Cian O’Connor ensured himself a fitting send-off from the Discover Dublin Horse Show yesterday when third in the €200,000 Longines Grand Prix.

“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.

The governing body of equestrian sport in Ireland has said it needs more funding to build on the success of Irish riders at the recent Olympic Games in London and other international competitions.

Ireland show jumping team manager Robert Splaine believes Cian O’Connor’s bronze medal-winning performance in London will be a springboard for greater Olympic success.

Britain’s Anna Edwards showed you can’t keep a good thing down yesterday by winning the €50,000 Millstreet International Horse Show Grand Prix.

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.

Millstreet International Horse Show begins today and it is big: 1,200 horses and ponies stabled on site, topped up by some 400 daily arrivals, accounting for more than 7,000 entries in the 93 contests at the Cork fixture.