Munster Express Online

Robert Splaine may be very satisfied with the outcome of his recent trip to America. On a fact-finding mission he cast an eye of the Irish talent in action in the US at the show in Wellington, Florida. There for the Nations Cup, he saw the team slot into second spot behind the local Canadian team in a joint runner-up spot with the British riders.

This Nations Cup has become the tradition muscle stretching exercise before the real action starts as it rates a step below the Toshiba League in International standing. Nevertheless it is a tough one to win, and its strength may be judged in the fact that the winning Canadian side had two members of the Silver Medal winning Olympic team in action.

Indeed, there was one dual medallist from the Olympics as Eric Lamaze and his brilliant horse Hickstead had also won a Gold Medal in the Individual Olympic class to add to his Silver in the team event. His other Olympic team mate was Ian Miller who also had his Olympic mount In Style in action here.

The Irish riders were Kevin Babington, Darragh Kerins, Shane Sweetnam and Richie Molony. The first three of these are all based now in America and have enjoyed considerable success over there at the very highest level. Richie Molony was at a disadvantage in having to ride one of Shane Sweetnam’s horses but even so was a valuable part of the team.

Darragh Kerins partnered Night Train, a prolific winner in America, and a horse we have seen here as Kerins jumped him at the Dublin Horse Show last summer where he picked up some prestige placings, including a third in the Irish Sports Council Classic when chasing home Markus Fuchs on the brilliant La Toya and Lauren Hough from America. The latter was a member of the US team in Florida which finished fourth, four faults adrift of Ireland and Britain.

This Nations Cup was as good a trial for the season ahead as could reasonably expected and the Irish chef d’equipe came home with plenty to chew over. He was there to assess the talent available to him for the major stuff, if needs be, and he was suitably impressed by what he saw.

Of course, he knew the capabilities of Carrick-on-Suir man Kevin Babington whose success in Europe includes the King George Cup at Hickstead. And he has seen Darragh Kerins in action in Dublin, but he must have been also impressed by Shane Sweetnam on Amaretto d’Arco who had a clear opening round and just one down in the second.

He also knows the strength of Richie Molony but could not add to that as he was riding a borrowed horse.

The exercise indicated to Robert Splaine that there is talent in action in America as good as any here, and he has the option of using that to fill teams later in the year should he so desire. But the cost to bring horse and rider across the Atlantic is almost prohibitive in these recession times, even though it is nice to have this second string to the bow.

Show jumping is huge in America with $10,000 classes held at least once a week. The Grand Prix at the Wellington festival was £150,000 and was won by MacLain Ward on Sapphire. That partnership took a Silver Medal at the Athens Olympics and a Gold at the Hong Kong Olympics, while the competition boasted eight Gold medallists in action to indicate the American strength at this level.