THE senior Irish show jumping squad have produced the most clear rounds in Nations Cup competitions in 2019, according to data released this week from Swiss newspaper PferdeWoche.

Irish riders produced a total of 46 clears in the 17 Nations Cups they took part in, 13 more than the current European champions Belgium in second with 33. Limerick’s Paul O’Shea jumped a total of seven clear rounds in the season, the second most of any rider from any nation.

Germany’s Daniels Deusser leads the way with eight clear, and O’Shea is close behind, equal with France’s Penelope Leprevost and Swiss world number one Steve Guerdat.

O’Shea’s seven clear rounds came aboard two different horses – the brilliant Skara Glen’s Machu Picchu and Imerald van’t Voorhof. He was double clear with the latter in Hickstead, while his top mount, Machu Picchu, was double clear in both Sopot and Dublin before producing a vital clear round in the FEI Nations Cup Final in Barcelona two weeks’ ago to help Ireland win and achieve Olympic qualification.

Ireland’s Cian O’Connor and Shane Sweetnam both rank sixth alongside nine other riders who managed five clear rounds in the season. O’Connor produced three clear rounds aboard PSG Final (Rome, Rotterdam and Barcelona) and two with Irenice Horta (La Baule and Aachen).

Sweetnam’s clean sheets came on Indra Van De Oude Heihoef (La Baule and Deeridge), Alejandro (double clear in Sopot) and Chaqui Z (Aachen).

Peter Moloney is among 11 riders to have produced four clears, while Daniel Coyle and Darragh Kenny each produced three.

Belgium are second behind Ireland in terms of clear rounds with 33 recorded in 2019, ahead of France with 32, Germany with 30 and Switzerland and Sweden with 26 each.