Irish Eventing horses and riders were in superb form today (Saturday) at the four-star FEI Classics in Pau, France, with all seven Irish combinations jumping clear Cross Country, adding just time penalties to their Dressage scores from the opening phase.

Kildare’s Camilla Speirs and the Traditional Irish Sport Horse Portersize Just a Jiff lead the Irish challenge, holding 11th place overall on a score of 55.7 penalties. Galway’s Cathal Daniels, who was making his four-star debut at Pau with the Irish Sport Horse Rioghan Rua, lies in a very respectable 14th place on 57.1, while Joseph Murphy and Sportsfield Othello (ISH) are in 20th place on 59.3.

Sarah Ennis (Horseware Stellor Rebound (ISH) (23rd), Ciaran Glynn (November Night (ISH)(TIH) (27th), Dominic Furnell (Ballycahane Flower Power (ISH)(TIH) (30th) and Katie O’Sullivan (Cooley Blue Flame (ISH) (35th) all produced excellent clear jumping rounds over Pau’s Cross Country course.

The final Show Jumping phase takes place at the French venue on Sunday, with German World No.1 Michael Jung holding the lead with Fischerrocana FST. Jung is hoping to win the only four-star title that has eluded him so far at Pau, with home favourite Maxime Livio in second place riding Qalao Des Mers and Britain’s Nicola Wilson in third with The Irish Sport Horse One Two Many.

Meanwhile in Show Jumping, Offaly’s Darragh Kenny continues his good form at the three-star Portuguese show in Vilamoura, winning Saturday morning’s jump-off class with Picolo. Kenny also won Friday’s speed class at the same venue with G Andiamo Rodeberg and finished third with Picolo.

At the first five-star indoor World Cup show of the season in Oslo, Norway, Wexford’s Bertram Allen finished third in a speed class with Cheese W Z, one place ahead of Cian O’Connor and Aramis in fourth. French rider Julien Epaillard took the winners prize with Sheriff de la Nutria LM. Allen and O’Connor will be joined by Tipperary’s Shane Breen in the feature Longines World Cup competition in Oslo on Sunday afternoon.