Glourious – that is the only way to describe Irish show jumping this last week or so.

We haven’t won at the prestigious Aachen since 2010 but the Irish whitewashed their opponents for victory in the world famous five-star Mercedes-Benz Nations Cup of Aachen in Germany last Thursday night.

Ireland was the only team to finish with zero faults and yep, we’re all thinking the same thing – Michael Blake’s in-form squad are looking like top contenders for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

It wasn’t all jumping fizz either, corks popped for the Agria Irish eventing team of Sam Watson, Ian Cassalls, Austin O’Connor and Joseph Murphy who also had a podium finish at Aachen, clinching a mighty third place.

Elsewhere, Ireland’s Conor Swail, a Co Down native, saw off 40 of the world’s best combinations to claim the ATCO Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Spruce Meadows, Canada, on Saturday.

Riding the ever-impressive 17-year-old Count Me In, Swail scooped the €225,000 prize after battling through two tough technical rounds, Swail victorious with his winning clear round in 39.29 seconds.

E-passports

I’ve been looking forward to giving the new Horse Sport Ireland (HSI), online passport system a whirl and sat down to register a foal this weekend.

Alas, despite the website still saying (at the time of publication) that the new online application portal and E-Passport system would be ready in mid-June 2024, it appears it’s not been possible to meet the launch deadline, so we wait. Or we pay more.

HSI’s “state-of-the-art system” is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine under the Brexit Adjustment Reserve Fund, and will (according to the website), “provide breeders with enhanced self-service features, faster passport application processing, and the ability to apply for and track applications online.”

I, like most breeders, will be thrilled if this is the case – truly – it’ll be a game-changing thing. We will be even more thrilled when we can actually use it.

HSI are not accepting new applications but the website does state that for, “those with urgent application needs, forms can be requested by emailing them at info@horsesportireland.ie.”

Then, you can have the pleasure of saving your sale falling through, by paying an urgent fee of €150 in addition to the standard application fee.

Weatherbys have the contract to design, develop, and implement the E-Passport solution – I wonder if in the same position the thoroughbred community would be as patient as the sport horse sector are being forced to be?