No Cup joy for Irish

IT was a case of mixed emotions for the Irish last weekend at the Samsung Super League Nations Cup Show in La Baule, France, where early domination disipated on the final day in the wake of a supreme performance by the host team.

Having swept all before them - Twomey had claimed the grand prix on Friday, beating new World Cup champion Markus Ehning (For Pleasure); O’Connor was declared the show’s leading international rider, including adding second place in Saturday’s Derby to a string of top-three placings and victory in the speed class and Blaine had won the Grand Prix qualifier, following this with a fourth behind Twomey in the Grand Perix proper - in the run-up to the nations cup, the team of Billy Twomey (Luidam), Robert Splaine (Coolcorron Cool Diamond), Peter Charles (Corrada) and Cian O’Connor (Waterford Crystal) finished fourth in Sunday’s showpiece.

A score of 20 faults saw them 16 adrift of the clinical French, who featured three of the stallions that won the World Championships at Jerez, Spain, last year.