IRELAND’S Nicholas Connors rode Fornett d’Emeraude into fifth place in the CSI2* 1.45m Grand Prix in Lier, Belgium, on Sunday. This eight-year-old bay gelding (Windows vh Costerveld x L’Arc de Triomphe) was bred by Har. D’Emeraude and is owned by Ann Connors.

The pair were one of only seven first-round clears in the class of 49, with only five of those combinations repeating clear round success. Connors stopped the clock in the jump-off in 48.85 seconds.

The class was won by Great Britain’s Robert Whitaker and Vermento, a 10-year-old black stallion (Argento x Skippy12), whose jump-off time of 39.67 seconds proved uncatchable.

In the CSIYH Five- and Six-Year-Old 1.10m/ 1.20m Two-Phase Special class, Bertram Allen placed sixth for Ireland with Raffaella; Allen followed this up in the CSI2* 1.35m Two-Phase Special class with a ninth place on Larissa and an 11th with Castigo de Amor.

On Saturday, Co Down’s Sophie Dalm claimed seventh place with Jamie in the CSI1* 1.30m Two-Phase class, while Bertram Allen and Raffaella were fourth in the CSIYH Five- and Six-Year-Old 1.15m / 1.25m Two-Phase class.

In Saturday’s CSI1* 1.20m class, Ireland’s Floortje Deckers and Lillebebegards Bellaflair placed ninth and duly followed this with a sixth place in the CSI1* 1.20m Two-Phase Special class on Sunday.

Sophie Dalm again placed seventh in the CSI1* 1.30m class on Sunday.