SOME Irish riders opted to stay in Europe over the weekend, with a few attending the two-star show held at Sentower Park at Opglabbeek, Belgium. Thomas Ryan secured the best result here, riding Jakarta into second place in the 1.40m Two-phase Special class on Sunday. The pair jumped double clear with a second phase time of 34.84 seconds. They were only bettered by Turkish rider Ozgur Ozkan on Bijoux Beau, who finished just over half a second ahead in 34.30. The podium was completed by Lara Tryba (FRA) on Flash de Talma (35.20).

Friday’s one-star 1.15m class saw Kevin Thornton finish in eighth place on board No Touch Key SR, when they jumped a clear round in 79.53. The pair then placed 10th in Saturday’s one-star 1.20m Two-phase Special, with a double clear round in a phase two time of 31.42.

Ryan placed eighth out of 70 starters in the one-star Seven- and Eight-year-old 1.35m/1.40m class with Million’s Grey, when double clear in a jump-off time of 39.88.