KILDARE’S Michael Pender is proving to be a force to be reckoned with lately and he had an incredible weekend at the four-star Al Shira’aa Horse Show in the UAE, culminating with a fourth place in Sunday’s 1.55m Longines FEI World Cup Grand Prix.

On board the 14-year-old gelding HHS Calais (ISH), bred by Ita Brennan in Co Kilkenny, Pender incurred four faults in the first round, but there were only five combinations who jumped clear, so the Irish man was among 12 who made it through to the second round. The pair jumped the fastest clear in round two (34.58) to place fourth.