SIX Irish show jumpers line out at the five-star CHI Geneva this weekend at the Palexpo in the Swiss city. Co Down’s Conor Swail was unfortunately ruled out of the prestigious Rolex IJRC Top final, due to take place on Friday night, after the cargo flight due to transport his horses from America to Geneva was cancelled with no alternative solutions available.

Replacing Swail is Switzerland’s Martin Fuchs with his Paris Olympic Games mount Leone Jei, who was 11th in the rankings list used to determine the riders to compete in the final. Fuchs is also the current Rolex Grand Slam Live Contender, after winning the Rolex Grand Prix in Spruce Meadows in September. He is in the running for a €500,000 bonus, if he can take a second consecutive win in Sunday’s Grand Prix.

Daniel Coyle, Darragh Kenny, Denis Lynch, Cian O’Connor and Seamus Hughes Kennedy are competing in the five-star, while Francis Derwin Jnr lines out in the Under 25 classes.

Despite a difficult journey to get to Geneva, with Storm Darragh playing havoc to travel plans from Ireland, Hughes Kennedy got off the mark in the first class in Thursday morning’s 1.40m Table A, slotting into seventh place with the Irish Sport Horse mare Castlefield Hera (Plot Blue x Puissance), bred by Jim O’Neill. Fifth in the class was Denis Lynch with King Blue. Cian O’Connor was sixth in Thursday’s 1.45m two-phase aboard his new mount Funky Fred Marienshof Z.

Meanwhile, after placing fifth on the opening day of the Under 25 division, Francis Derwin won Friday’s morning’s 1.45m Table A with Parvati Aeg. The nine-year-old mare, who is owned by his father, Francis Snr, galloped to the win in 62.09 seconds, seeing off The Netherlands’ Mel Thijssen in second place.