Michael Blake’s Irish show jumping team of Alexander Butler (Athene), Eoin Gallagher (Faltic HB), Eoin McMahon (Chakra) and David Simpson (Foudre F) delivered a perfect performance to claim a brilliant win in last Friday’s Longines EEF Nations Cup at Peelbergen in The Netherlands.

Ireland were in a five-way tie for the lead at the halfway stage after clear rounds from all four Irish riders. The team continued to post perfect clear rounds second time out, with Butler, Gallagher and McMahon all completing double clear performances meaning Ireland had already secured a convincing win before their final rider entered the arena.

Britain finished as runners up on eight faults, the same score as Spain who took third of the 13 teams on a slightly slower time.

After the win, a delighted Blake said: “I was confident that we had a good team coming here but they still had to deliver on the day which they did.

“We had a few horses jumping a Nations Cup for the first time and Eoin Gallagher making his Nations Cup debut.

“It was very close at the halfway stage and the course builder put up six fences for the second round. That suited our horses as they are all big jumpers and we are really delighted which this win which means we have qualified for the Longines EEF Nations Cup Final in Warsaw.”