Edited press release from Spruce Meadows 

 A delighted David O’Brien and Estoril Delle Roane (Cristallo I x Hatrick) put on a show for his family on Thursday with the Irishman triumphing in the CSI5* 1.50m Mission:Possible competition under the grey skies that have so far dominated this summer season at Spruce Meadows in Calgary, Canada.

O’Brien, who is originally from Galway County, got parents Tomas and Frances to fly to Calgary to see him compete at Spruce Meadows for the first time, with the all-too-common rain holding out until after his winning ride. 

“I was told when coming here that I was coming up against a different beast,” O’Brien, 36, said after his clear round on the vast All Canada Ring course. “It’s hard to describe. There’s nothing like this. I never know if I will get here again so I told my parents, if you want to come, come. And to be able to run the class today was great.”

O’Brien’s victory on day one of the ‘Pan American’ presented by Rolex is the latest in a string of Irish triumphs at the Spruce Meadows Summer Series so far. Today it was O’Brien’s turn — while three of the four newly named Team Canada Olympic show jumping squad nipped at his heels, with Amy Millar, Mario Deslauriers and Tiffany Foster coming fourth, sixth and seventh.

“Team Canada are knocking on the door,” O’Brien said. “You can see them coming into form right now. Up here, with the climate, altitude and everything else, you have to be a bit tougher. Everything is so open. They’re going to be flying in Paris.”

Second and third place in Thursday’s competition went to Mexico, with Antonio Maurer and Aircraft One (Arezzo VDL x Böckmann's Lord Pezi) in second and Luis Alejandro Plascencia O aboard Beautiful Red (Casall x Colman) in third, while Amy Millar (CAN) and Christiano (Canoso x Compliment) finished fourth and Antonio Maurer (MEX) aboard Kansas ZSH (Kannan x Calato) fifth.