TEAM USA scored an emphatic win on home soil in the second leg of the five-star Longines League Of Nations at the World Equestrian Centre in Ocala, Florida over the weekend, where the star-filled Irish team just missed out on a podium position.

Team manager, Michael Blake’s team of Offaly’s Darragh Kenny (Eddy Blue), Tipperary’s Tom Wachman (Tabasco De Toxandria Z), Derry’s Daniel Coyle (Incredible) and Meath’s Cian O’Connor (Bentley De Sury) finished fourth of the 10 teams taking part, finishing on a final score of 13 faults.

Kenny was first to go for the Irish and got the team off to a great start with a clear round. Next in, Wachman and Tabasco De Toxandria Z had one fence down to finish on four faults. Coyle was up next and he and Incredible also finished on four faults. O’Connor was anchorman with Bentley De Sury and they too incurred four faults. That put Ireland on a score of eight faults and in third place at the end of round one.

With just three riders put forward for the second round and all scores counting, Blake selected Kenny, Wachman and O’Connor to jump again. Kenny finished on four faults, while Wachman rode a super round, keeping all the fences intact and just collecting a time penalty. O’Connor was last to go and finished on a high, riding a clear round. They just missed out on a place on the podium on time difference.

The USA team of McLain Ward (Ilex), Laura Kraut (Dorado 212), Lillie Keenan (Argan de Beliard) and Aaron Vale (Carissimo 25) took a home win on four faults, with Germany a close second on five. Belgium filled the podium in third place, with a score of 13 faults equalling Ireland, but with a faster time.

The third leg of the series is due to be held at Rotterdam in The Netherlands on June 20th.

In the ribbons

The show kicked off last Wednesday, and saw a good start for Irish competitors. Tom Wachman rode Hawaii into ninth place in the two-star 1.40m two-phase special and then placed 10th with Obora’s Laura in the five-star 1.40m two-phase class.

The five-star $63,000 1.55m Grand Prix qualifier saw Daniel Coyle and the 15-year-old gelding Quintin place third of the 44 starters, jumping clear in 66.99 seconds, not far off runner-up Kent Farrington (USA) on Myla (66.63). Belgium’s Nicola Philippaerts on Derby de Riverland won the class in an unbeatable 64.08.

Thursday saw Robert Blanchette finish fourth in the two-star 1.45m Grand Prix qualifier with Chardonnay. Blanchette’s jump-off time of 34.99 was less than two seconds off the pace of class winner Richard Vogel (GER) on Phenyo van het Keysersbos (33.16).

Thursday’s highlight was the five-star $350,000 1.60m Grand Prix, which saw 37 combinations going to post. Just nine of those made it round the first-round track without fault, with six maintaining their clean sheet in round two.

O’Connor second

O’Connor was the best of the Irish here on board the 12-year-old gelding Iron Man, when they jumped a fantastic double clear in a fast jump-off time of 40.81 to take the runner-up position – they were a mere 0.2 seconds behind class winner Christian Kukuk (GER) on Just Be Gentle (40.61). The podium was completed by Nina Mallevaey (FRA) in third with Nikka vd Bischopp (41.14).

“I was so pleased, because it was the first time I’ve gone a little bit more against the clock on him,” said O’Connor, following the jump-off with Iron Man. “Christian is who he is, an Olympic champion, and his horse is fantastic and very quick. I was just happy with my round. I looked up at the clock and saw it was 0.2 slower, but quickly, I realised it was still a very good result.”

Irish riders may not have been to the fore on Friday, but the 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare Tullogher Lady Liberty (Indoctro x Dalivia VDL by Indorado), bred by Rita Walsh-McIntyre, owned by her daughter Ciara and ridden by Swiss Olympian Janika Sprunger, were runners-up in the five-star $120,000 1.50m winning round class.

They stopped the jump-off clock in 39.79 seconds, just over a second behind the on-form Nicola Philippaerts (BEL) on Derby de Riverland, who took the win in 38.73.

The show concluded on Sunday with the two-star 1.45m Grand Prix, in which O’Connor rode Fermoy to take sixth place. A start list of 40 was reduced to just seven for the jump-off, with only three combinations keeping all the poles in the cups second time out.

The well-deserved podium places went to Charlie Jones (GBR) on Montserrat OS in third (37.56); Kara Chad (CAN) on Corinna Z in second (36.57) and Sophie Hinners (GER) on Viva Las Vegas W the clear winner in 35.23. O’Connor was among the four-faulters in a time of 39.87.