Tipperary Town showjumper Denis Lynch helps Ireland make history in Rome
Michael Blake's team win Italian Nations Cup for first time in over 100 years
The Underwriting Exchange Irish Showjumping team won a thrilling FEI Rolex Piazza Di Siena CSIO5* Nations Cup for the first time in over 100 years in Rome over the weekend.
Ireland thwarted host nation Italy, who had led for most of the afternoon, following a jump-off, with Mikey Pender and the Irish Sport Horse HHS Calais the heroes.
The team also included Tipperary Town's Denis Lynch, riding Vistogrand, which he owns; Jack Ryan riding BBS McGregor (ISH), owned by Marguerite Ryan; and Michael G Duffy, riding Clitschko 17, owned by Carl Hanley Sporthorses Gmbh.
It was the first time an Irish team has won an Italian Nations Cup and team manager Blake couldn't hide his delight at the history-makers.
He said: "That was some performance, from the whole team, and just stunning from Mikey Pender. To jump double clear and then come out and put up that time in the jump-off was just exceptional.
"But the whole lot of them - Jack Ryan had a disappointing first round before coming out second time around to only have one pole down, that showed real character.
"Then Denis Lynch and Michael G Duffy were both foot-perfect in their rounds before Mikey did the business - I asked them at the halfway point to do exactly that and they delivered. It's an incredible achievement!"
Ireland lay in joint-fifth place of the ten nations competing at the halfway point - four faults behind Italy, France and Sweden, before their comeback after the break.
The team were perfect in their second round and no more faults were added to the tally, with only Italy matching Ireland's score of eight before Pender prevailed in the jump-off.