A foot-perfect double clear round from Kildare-born Niall Talbot set Ireland up for a third place in Friday’s non-Super League Nations Cup in Copenhagen, Denmark.
The 37-year-old Swiss-based rider and Isabel Balitzer's 14 year-old chestnut stallion Tequi d'I CH were third to jump, and their zero score provided a bedrock for the rest of the Irish team.
Francis Connors kicked off Ireland's Danish campaign with a disappointing 16 faults on Merlin's Magic, but Neal Fearon, had just one fence down on the Irish-bred Teulada, which when coupled with Talbot's zero and a single time fault from British-based Shane Breen and Little Ear, left Ireland in runner-up position to Denmark at the halfway stage.
A tussle for the top spots in the second round saw the Irish team fade slightly with eight faults from Fearon and nine from Breen, but another clear round from Talbot allowed only the Netherlands and Denmark to nudge ahead at the finish.
Meanwhile, Horse Sport Ireland Team Manager Robert Splaine has announced his team for the non-Super League Nations Cup at the five-star show in Madrid on Saturday. The Irish team will jump in the following order:
RESULT: Jan Nygaard FEI Nations Cup
Qualifier for 2008 Olympic Games + 2009 European Championship
1. Denmark 12 faults
2. Netherlands 20 faults
3. Ireland 22 faults
