Ireland maintain winning habit

Equestrian Sport: With defence of the European title in less than 10 weeks the main goal for the season, Ireland's show jumpers are showing consistently good form, with victory in yesterday's Finnish Nations Cup following on from the brilliant win in the Swiss Super League round at St Gallen a fortnight ago

The build-up to the Finnish Cup did not look too auspicious, with Conor Swail having to pull out of the team when his top horse Windgates King Koal had two operations for colic last week. Cian O'Connor was drafted in, but, following the sale of his Kerrygold Puissance-winner Casper, and with his top horse Waterford Crystal injured, he was relying on the services of team newcomer Calanda, an unknown quantity at Nations Cup level.

Clones-rider Clement McMahon had got the weekend off to a great start by lifting Saturday's Grand Prix, but he too was making his Nations Cup debut and chef d'equipe Lt-Col Gerry Mullins knew he would have his work cut out to put together a winning side yesterday.

But McMahon responded to the challenge with a first round clear from Gelvin Clover and was joined on the zero mark by O'Connor with Calanda and Lt Shane Carey on Killossery to put the Irish ahead at the break.

Carey and O'Connor were foot-perfect again at the second time of asking, and McMahon faulted just once with Gelvin Clover to clinch victory, without calling back Irish number four Capt Gerry Flynn, who had provided a five-fault discard score in the first round.

In St Gallen a fortnight ago, the Irish were forced into a jump-off against the Swiss before Robert Splaine sealed the win. This time round it was Ireland number one, the rest nowhere, with the hosts 15 faults adrift in second place and the Germans even further off the pace in third. To round off a perfect weekend, Clement McMahon also took the trophy as leading rider of the show.

Next week's big German show at Aachen hosts another round of the Samsung Super League. The Irish are shading the French in second place in the Super League.