A fantastic performance from both Irish representatives at the 2022 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Finals in Leipzig today (Sunday), saw Co Down’s Conor Swail finish in eighth place overall while Tipperary’s Denis Lynch finished 15th, following four demanding rounds of jumping over the last four days at the German venue.

Riding the 15-year-old gelding Count Me In, Swail was competing at his very first World Cup Finals and the World No.5 put up a strong challenge before securing his top eight finish. Having finished third in Thursday’s opening speed round, he was in sixth position after the second round of jumping on Friday. Swail and Count Me In had one fence down in the first of the two final rounds this afternoon and finished strongly in the concluding round where they left all the fences standing, picking up just two time penalties to finish on a total of 13 penalties.

Tipperary’s Denis Lynch and the 15-year-old stallion Cristello also had a strong finish and were one of just a handful of combinations to jump clear inside the time in the decider. Lynch would finish on a final score of 20 penalties which saw him take 15th place overall.

Fuchs and Chaplin are champions

Switzerland’s Martin Fuchs and Chaplin are the new Longines FEI World Cup champions, taking the title on a final score of five penalties.

Former World Cup Champion McLain Ward (USA) had held the lead going into the final round but two fences down saw him drop to seventh. Harrie Smolders (NED) and Monaco finished as runners-up, while third place on the podium went to Sweden’s Jens Fredricson and Markan Cosmopolit.