Bertram Allen leads Irish contingent in the Netherlands this weekend

While the main focus of the equestrian world over the next couple of weeks will be on the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, there is a lot happening elsewhere with Irish show jumpers competing at five-star level this weekend at Valkenswaard in the Netherlands.

Bertram Allen and Denis Lynch are among the six-strong Irish contingent at the Dutch fixture while Irish riders are also due to compete in Denmark, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy and Canada. In eventing, Joseph Murphy and Elizabeth Power represent the country in the fourth leg of the Event Riders Master Series at the Festival of British Eventing at Gatcombe Park in Gloucestershire.

On Friday evening, the Underwriting Exchange Jumping in the City fixture takes place at Shelbourne Park Greyhound Stadium, Dublin.

The opening Westwood/Ifor Williams Trailers speed class for amateur riders had attracted an entry of 20 including Tom MacGuinness of Horseware Ireland fame, greyhound trainer Dolores Ruth and North Co Dublin vegetable producer Paul Carroll, winner of the amateur championship at the Dublin Horse Show.

Rio-bound Greg Broderick, riding Zuidam, features in the list of 16 down to compete in the Underwriting Exchange Grand Prix as does top young rider Mikey Pender (HHS Hercules) and leading event horse producer Sarah Ennis (BLM Diamond Delux).

The evening's action will round off with the six-horse Devenish Puissance. Among those due to tackle the Big Red Wall are recent Dublin Puissance joint-winner Jack O'Donoghue (Acorad 3) and two of the joint-winners of this class last year, Jason Higgins (Hadine Van't Zorgvliet ) and Gabriel Corless (Rockstown Park).

Having run their successful international and national Tetrathlon championships last weekend, the Irish Pony Club will be catering for just short of 700 children competing individually and in teams in dressage, show jumping, combined training and mounted games this weekend at the annual Festival in Mullingar.