Ireland celebrated their first senior Nations Cup victory of 2026 with a superb performance in the Longines EEF Series at Scuderia La Caccia in Bedizzole.
They emerged victorious in Italy after a dramatic jump-off against the host nation.
The Irish quartet of Kildare's Niall Talbot on Charming Dream, Wexford's Harry Allen riding Edison de Hus, Kilkenny's Seamus Hughes Kennedy with the Sinead Kennedy-bred Cosmo and Louth's Mark McAuley aboard Rossi VD Heffinck, combined brilliantly to secure victory ahead of Italy in second place and Switzerland in third.
The result marked an important breakthrough for the Irish team, delivering their first victory since Jessica Kurten took over from Michael Blake as Irish team manager in December 2025.
Thirteen nations lined up in Bedizzole with the stunning Scuderia La Caccia venue providing a spectacular backdrop near the shores of Lake Garda.
The competition quickly developed into a battle between some of Europe's strongest Nations Cup teams.
Switzerland and Italy shared the lead after the opening round on a flawless score of zero, while Ireland remained firmly in contention heading into a pressure-filled second round.
McAuley produced a crucial clear round to keep Ireland’s hopes alive before Italy answered immediately with another immaculate performance to force a jump-off in front of an enthusiastic home crowd.
Ireland turned to Harry Allen and Edison de Hus for the deciding round - and the talented combination delivered emphatically.
Having already jumped double clear during the Nations Cup competition, Allen produced a third flawless round of the day with remarkable composure and speed to secure the win.
Italy’s hopes faded when Piergiorgio Bucci lowered an early rail in the jump-off, confirming Ireland’s triumph.
