IT was a weekend of mixed fortunes for Irish horses and riders, at the inaugural Longines League Of Nations Final at CSIO Barcelona in Spain.

The highlight for Ireland (and possibly a career highlight for the rider) was the world-class performance of Michael Pender and the 13-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding, HHS Calais, who won the €300,000 five-star 1.60m Longines Grand Prix on Friday night. This was no mean feat, as competitors included all three individual Olympic medallists from the Paris Olympic Games!