Rodrigo Pessoa’s gamble on saving some fire-power for next week’s Europeans misfired as Ireland crashed to fifth in the Aga Khan Nations Cup.

Up until that point Irish riders had won every international class in sight at this year’s Dublin Horse Show. But never more true was Eddie Macken’s dictum: “no matter what you do at home or abroad, it all comes down to the Aga Khan.”

At the press conference that followed, USA chef d’equipe Robert Ridland put it all into context when he said: “Nations Cup is still the best of international show jumping and the Aga Khan trophy is the best in the world. That is why I brought our A-team here.”

But having won just about every major medal on offer during his brilliant international career Irish chef d’equipe Pessoa could not be blamed for having his hopes fixed on European medals.

“We left some of our best horses in the stables for that event,” he noted at the press conference.

When asked his feelings about Ireland placing a disappointing fifth he answered with just one word, “deflated”.

A hard lesson seemed to have been learned that in the minds of Irish punters the Aga Khan superseded the Europeans. It is cruel but true!

Aga Khan ROUND-UP

Irish form held in the first round as Bertram Allen with Molly Malone, Denis Lynch with RMF Echo and Cian O’Connor riding Good Luck all went clear over Tom Holden’s twisting course. Mark McAuley, on his Aga Khan debut, came back with just four faults on Miebello.

Robert Ridland’s all-female USA team matched the Irish and the round ended with a zero fault tie between Ireland and the USA. Things took an ominous turn in the second round as Allen came back with four faults, McAuley added 12 and Denis Lynch 13 – Ireland’s fate was sealed.

A clear with just one time fault by Cian O’Connor could not save us and a trickle of people leaving the grandstand told its own story.

In the end USA won their seventh Aga Khan on a zero score. France was second on five, Netherlands third with seven, Spain fourth on 15 and Ireland fifth with 17. Ireland held on to seventh in the Division I league and qualified for the final in Barcelona.