The securing of a one-year extension to his contract as Ireland’s show jumping team manager was welcomed last week by Rodrigo Pessoa, whose priority in his coming term is to get his charges to Tokyo 2020.

Irish riders netted three-star Grand Prix victories on both sides of the Atlantic at the weekend, with Paul O’Shea scoring in Tryon, North Carolina, and Darragh Kenny coming out on top at Montpellier in France.

Given his famous father’s association with Chris Eubank, it is not surprising Stevie Collins Jr has grown accustomed to fielding questions on the young man from Brighton with the same name.

Billy Twomey believes his new acquisition, Codarco, has the talent to go all the way, including “possibly” to the Olympics, but he will be taking it one step at a time.

Ireland's Cian O'Connor won today's opening competition at London Olympia's five-star show, just as he had won the closing competition of 2009 at the same venue.