GALWAY’S Jessica Burke and Express Trend (ISH), bred and owned by Liam Nicholas, came out best of an all-female jump-off in the prestigious 1.50m Queen Elizabeth II Cup, which took place on Ladies’ Day at Hickstead’s five-star Nations Cup show in Britain on Saturday.

Lady riders were the only ones to go clear in the first round, with five of the 28 starters making it through to the jump-off, where last to go Burke and Express Trend (ISH), by Future Trend (OLD) out of Condios Express (ISH) by Condios (HOLST), showed their class, jumping a speedy clear to claim the win and add Burke’s name to the famous trophy.

“It hasn’t sunk in yet to be honest!” said Jessica afterwards. “When you look back on all the days I spent at home, watching Hickstead on the TV, you grow up dreaming of things like this, so to put my name on the trophy is very special.”

Galway native and former maths teacher Jessica moved over to the UK five years ago to ride for the Arion Stud in Hampshire and she won her first international Grand Prix soon after.

Burke has previously ridden Express Trend to secure five-star success and the pair have represented Ireland on Nations Cup teams. “He is amazing, I don’t really have the words for him. He is the horse of a lifetime for me, he’s changed my life in a lot of ways and taught me some good lessons, so to win this with him is really special,” she added.

Jessica now has a new Hickstead ambition – to be selected for the Irish team for the Agria Nations Cup of Great Britain. “I definitely want to jump on the team next year – that’s the next target for sure. It’s an amazing arena and an amazing show,” she said.

Meanwhile, Britain’s Sameh El Dahan rode the 14-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare WKD Aimez Moi (Je T’Aime Flamenco (BWP) x My Honey Hill (ISH)), bred and owned by Joanne Sloan Allen from Co Antrim, to win Saturday’s five-star 1.50m Clipmyhorse.tv Salver class. Out of a start list of 50, El Dahan beat 13 other combinations jumping clear in 39.46 seconds to win the class, with Tipperary’s Denis Lynch and Cordial placing fifth.

“We know her inside out,” Sameh said of WKD Aimez Moi. “She’s a class mare, who has already won some Grands Prix and jumped Nations Cups, so she’s quite experienced. I knew that nothing today would faze her, I just have to do my best and she will do the rest. She’s always looking at the jumps and she’s quite careful,” he added. “She’s also quick across the ground, so I know that I don’t have to go crazy.”

Denis Lynch and Vistogrand were part of the Irish show jumping team who came third in the Nations Cup at Hickstead \ Nigel Goddard

Podium finish

Michael Blake’s team of Denis Lynch with Vistogrand; Max Wachman with the Irish Sport Horse Kilkenny (Cardento (HOLST) x MHS Pembrook Lady (ISH) x Guidam (SF)); Tom Wachman with Berlux Z and Cian O’Connor with Fermoy were drawn sixth to jump in the Nations Cup at Hickstead on Friday, where they secured yet another podium finish.

Lynch and Vistogrand were first in for Ireland and jumped a clear round to get the team off to a great start. The stallion was previously based at Hickstead with Shane Breen, so he knows the place well and he performed accordingly.

Next in, Max Wachman and Kilkenny (ISH), bred by Ita Brennan, finished with eight faults. Tom Wachman was third for the Irish with Berlux Z and finished with 12 faults.

Max Wachman with Kilkenny (ISH) were on the Irish show jumping team who came third in the Nations Cup at Hickstead \ Nigel Goddard

Anchor-man O’Connor showed his experience at this level, as Fermoy jumped clear when last to go, to leave Ireland on a score of eight faults and in third place at the halfway point. This was O’Connor’s 150th Nations Cup over the past 24 years.

In their second round, Lynch and Vistogrand incurred an unlucky four faults, but Max Wachman and the Sinead Brennan-bred Kilkenny (ISH) jumped a perfect clear.

It wasn’t Tom Wachman’s day, as he and Berlux Z had two refusals and were therefore eliminated. Last in for Ireland, O’Connor and Fermoy finished on four faults, to put Ireland on a total of 16 faults after the two rounds.

Tom Wachman with Berlux Z were part of the Irish show jumping team who came third in the Nations Cup at Hickstead \ Nigel Goddard

That was enough for Ireland to finish on the podium in third place, with Great Britain taking the win for the second year in a row, with The Netherlands claiming second place.

“Any time you finish on the podium, you have to be happy and so we are, but such has been the calibre of our performances this year, that we are always aiming higher,” said Blake afterwards.

“We had a strong team with a blend of youth and experience and, while there were a couple of costly errors that prevented us finishing higher, it was a stiff examination.

“There were two great rounds from Denis with Vistogrand, and Cian with Fermoy to keep us in the hunt after the first round. It is a tremendous landmark for Cian to reach 150 Nations Cups and he remains as proud as ever to represent Ireland.

“I was especially pleased with Max coming back out to jump a clear on Kilkenny on his second round and, while it wasn’t Tom’s day, he is still a very young man, who is coming off a huge week last week and we will see plenty more of him in Nations Cups in the near future.

“It is wonderful to have such a consistently high level of performance in what is the most difficult level of competition in our sport, and to have brought our tally of podium finishes to 11 this year is something to be very proud of.”

Cian O’Connor and Fermoy were on the Irish show jumping team who came third in the Nations Cup at Hickstead \ Nigel Goddard

Promising

Thursday’s five-star 1.50m Clipmyhorse.tv Trophy saw Tom Wachman place third from a start list of 54 riding Obora’s Laura, a promising nine-year-old mare. The pair jumped double clear, stopping the clock in 36.89 in the jump-off, a mere 0.01 behind second placed Sameh El Dahan (GBR) riding 11-year-old gelding WKD Toronto (ISH), bred by Joe Sloan from Co Antrim and owned by Joanne Sloan Allen. The win went to Jörne Sprehe (GER) and Toys, who were less than half a second ahead in 36.44.

Show jumping commenced at Hickstead on Tuesday, July 23rd, with Irish riders getting off to a good start in the smaller classes, with a one-two in the 1.10m class for Jessica Burke on Bucksfizz OS and David Simpson on Nadal Van’T Asbroek from 85 entries. Simpson also took sixth and eighth places with Billy Whiskey and Pippo Blue respectively. The 1.20m class saw a third place finish for Adam Morgan and Lilbeth, who also claimed sixth and seventh with Do It Rollebeek Z and Simply the Best M.

The 1.30m Open was won by Shane Breen on Jicarla T; the rider also placed fifth on Just Special. Burke showed her form in the 1.35m class, winning on board Romelus De Muze and taking fourth with Good Star Du Barry.

Wednesday saw a sixth place finish for Taylor Peare on We’ve Mermus Rua in the 1.25m class, while the Seven and Eight-year-old class saw Breen take second and fourth places with Super Gold Van De Fruitkorf Z and BP Arctic Blue respectively.

The 1.10m Two-phase class saw Tristan Gray on Hazelburg Livingstone finish fourth and Liam Hayes on Be Thanas in fifth.

Thursday’s 1.20m Eventers Challenge saw a runner-up finish for Fred Scala and Corriebeg Supernova.

The 1.10m Two-phase Newcomers class saw Hayes and Be Thanas place fourth, while the 1.15m Two-phase Five-year-old Championship saw Jason Fitzpatrick on Belle Van’T Klavertje Vier Z finish third, followed by Taylor Peare on HK Dominatara in seventh. Ella Quigley rode I into the top spot in the 1.35m Two-phase Open class from 60 starters.

Friday’s one-star Young Horse class saw three Irish in the top eight, with Breen on Konrad Obolensky in fifth, Burke on Billy Mufasa in sixth and Simpson on Mambo NR 5 B in eighth.

Eoin Gallagher rode Orthos Z to place fourth in the 1.20m Two-phase class and went on to place fourth again in the 1.30m Two-phase class on board Dieu’s Utopia Z.

The 1.10m Senior Newcomers class saw Anthony Condon on High Offley The Colour of Money place fifth and Greg Le Gear on Etina Z place sixth, while in the 1.20m Open Two-phase class, Jenny McBride on Nadal VI were third.

Anthony Condon on SFS Houdini placed third in Saturday’s 1.30m Open Two-phase class from 69 entries, while Sunday’s one-star 1.40m Young Horse final saw Breen and Konrad Obolensky finish third out of the 22 starters.