“An outstanding performance from the Irish Show Jumping team saw them score a memorable victory in the four-star Nations Cup at Ocala in Florida on Friday night – the third time in history that the trophy has been won by Ireland.

A tense final round saw Cian O’Connor deliver a vital clear when last to go with Seringat (his second of the competition), as Ireland denied The United States victory on home soil.

Team Manager Michael Blake selected Cork’s Shane Sweetnam as his opening rider in round one, and he didn’t disappoint, giving Ireland a perfect start with a clear aboard the Spy Coast Farm-owned Chaqui Z.

Tipperary’s Kevin Babington and Shorapur, owned by Shorapur LLC, lowered just the penultimate fence first time out, before O’Connor produced a clear with the Ronocco Jump-owned Seringat. This left Ireland in the lead on four faults after the first round, with one fence in hand over the USA and Mexico.

Sweetnam and Chaqui Z returned with just a single error second time out and another four fault score from Babington and Shorapur kept Ireland in the driving seat. However a 12 fault score from Kilkenny’s Richie Moloney and Carrabis Z, coupled with a clear round from America’s Beezie Madden, meant the pressure was on Meath-based O’Connor to deliver when last to go.

A clear round would give Ireland the trophy, one fence down would see a jump-off with the USA and two fences down would hand victory to the hosts. However O’Connor and the 11-year-old Seringat never looked like touching a pole and crossed the line to complete their double clear round (one of just three in the competition), and give Ireland a deserved victor” HSI Report

Michael Blake was Team Manager for Ocala .