IRELAND's show jumpers are sweeping all before them at the Eindhoven Derby fixture in Holland, with Trevor Coyle and Capt John Ledingham scoring a double yesterday in the wake of Jessica Chesney's win on Thursday.
Trevor Coyle and Hartwell Stud's stallion Cruising were drawn fifth to go in yesterday afternoon's Derby qualifier and, with a time of 41.64, snatched the winner's cheque from Dutch rider Emile Hendrix and Ten Cate Finesse.
Ledingham and the mare Millstreet Ruby had scored in the earlier Accumulator, stopping the clock on 38.46 to pip Belgium's Philippe Lejeune and Punjab by a good margin.
The Irish trio of Coyle, Ledingham and Chesney will he bidding for further triumphs in today's Grand Prix, with the feature Eindhoven Derby tomorrow afternoon as the main aim for double Hickstead Derby winner Kilbaha.
The Irish squad at Badminton are not having quite the same degree of success, although Eric Smiley and Enterprise put in a well composed test to slot into overnight 13th after the dressage with a mark of 55.4. That leaves the pair 9.2 penalties adrift of overnight leaders Ian Stark and Stanwick Ghost.
But Lucy Thompson's bid to add the Mitsubishi Motors trophy to her European Championship gold stumbled at the first hurdle when the forward moving Welton Molecule found little favour with the ground jury to finish the day in 30th. But the Hampshire based rider is planning to take all the bold routes on today's cross country and will be hoping to advance well up the leader board by the close of play.
Also bidding to move well up the order is Alfie Butler, whose brilliant crosscountry performance in Atlanta with the talented thoroughbred Sir Knight gave hope of a team medal only for the horse to pull out lame the following morning.
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