Team Valkenswaard United hold 11-point lead in Global Champions’ League

Team Valkenswaard United, comprising Ireland's Bertram Allen and Britain's John Whitaker, hold an 11-point lead in the Global Champions' League following their win in Friday's German leg in Hamburg.

Three teams were on a zero score after the first round and, while the Paris Jets combination of Olivier Philippaerts and Rolf-Goran Bengtsson dropped out of the reckoning with a fence down in round two, Audrey Coulter and Harrie Smolders, representing Antwerp Diamonds, put it up to the League leaders when clear again in 153.92.

Whitaker partnered Cassinis Chaplin to a steady clear in 81.07 in the second round but Allen, riding Billy Twomey’s Heartbreaker stallion Romanov, hardly took a check and, the only one to break the 70secs barrier, stormed through the finish in 69.22 with all the poles intact. Team Valkenswaard won the first leg of this new series in Miami and are now on 130 points followed on 119 by Monaco Aces (Schuyler Riley and Daniel Bluman), who were fourth on Friday, and Antwerp Diamonds (116).

The Irish team of Captain Geoff Curran (Mullaghbane), Paul Kennedy (Cartown Danger Mouse), Richard Howley (Chinook) and Shane Carey (Contador) finished fifth in Friday’s Nations’ Cup in Drammen, Norway. Italy claimed the honours ahead of the host nation and Britain.

Co Meath’s Sarah Ennis, riding her own BLM Diamond Delux, remains the top-placed Irish rider in 12th at the Badminton horse trials in England where the cross-country phase gets underway this morning at 11.30. Ennis is due out on course at 12.26.

The other Irish combinations and times are: Michael Ryan (Ballylynch Adventure) 11.42, Joseph Murphy (DHT Topstory) 11.46, Camilla Speirs (Portersize Just A Jiff) 13.20 with Murphy rounding off this phase of the competition at 16.38 on Sportsfield Othello. The action can be followed on the BBC red button service.