Text © World of Showjumping

Friday's highlight at the Andalucía October Tour in Vejer de la Frontera, Spain, was the CSIO3* 1.50m Nations Cup.

Michael Blake's Irish team – consisting of Michael Pender on HHS Los Angeles (Le Roi x Cavalier Royale), Jason Foley on Jacksonville Eurohill (Emerald x Carambole), Seamus Hughes Kennedy on ESI Rocky (Stakkato Gold x For Pleasure) and Cian O'Connor aboard Iron Man – dominated the competition from the get-go, with all four horse-and-rider combinations jumping clear in the first round.

The eight best teams from the eighteen at start moved forward to the second round, where the Irish team picked up nine penalties – good enough for the win ahead of Belgium in second with a team total of eleven penalties and the USA in third with thirteen.  

Thibault Philippaerts on Obama de la Liniere (Marius Claudius x Golden Hawk), Bertrand Genin on Elliot de Gineau (Kapitol d'Argonne x Quite Capitol), Mathieu Bourdeaud'Hui on Oscar the Homage (Quint vh Maarlo Z x Arko III) and Thomas de With on Tools DW Z (Toulon x Cicero Z) were part of the Belgian team, while the third placed US team consisted of Taylor Kain on Jirenze (Baltic VDL x Phin Phin), Vani Khosla on Cream Couleur Z (Cream on Top x Vanoverbeek), Raleigh Hiler on Obora's Chloe (Chacco-Blue x Lacapo) and Zayna Rizvi aboard Exquise du Pachis (Vagabond de la Pomme x Ogano Sitte). 

"We were delighted to secure the win from a start list of 18 teams at the concluding Nations Cup of the year here in Vejer," the Irish chef d'equipe Michael Blake told World of Showjumping. "It's a good finish to what has been a great season for Team Ireland with 15 podium finishes using 30 different riders all over the world. It's was especially pleasing to have three younger riders on the team alongside of course our most experienced rider. I would like to thank all the team here at the Sunshine Tour and of the course designer Rafael Suarez for the great sport they provided for everyone. We look forward to the upcoming season."