The Italian team impressed in Dublin to deny the Irish hosts a win in the seventh leg of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping Europe Division 1 series.
Penultimate leg
Both nations finished two rounds of jumping on a zero score and the seventh leg win was decided on a crucial head-to-head jump-off at the Royal Dublin venue.
The winning team of Piergiorgio Bucci, Lorenzo de Luca, Emilio Bicocchi and Bruno Chimirri arrived fighting to stay in Europe Division 1 and the win may have helped secure their place in the top league.
This Irish fixture of the FEI Nations Cup Jumping has an added bonus that the winning team receives the famous Aga Khan Cup.
Italian rider Bruno Chimirri expressed his delight after the victory. “To win is fantastic, but to win in front of this fantastic crowd in Dublin is unbelievable!” he said.
Irish denied win
It was heartbreak for hosts Ireland who were so close to taking the win, until Denis Lynch’s horse All Star ran out at the final fence in the final jump-off.
Lynch was devastated after his mistake. “Obviously I’m very very disappointed, but it’s one of those things – I want to apologise to my team, I let them down,” he said.
Bertram Allen, the youngest rider at just 20 years old, did give the home crowd something to cheer about with a super second round clear with his horse, Good Luck.
Both the USA and Sweden shared third spot while Britain and the Netherlands secured joint fifth place.
Final leg
The eighth and final leg of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping will take place on Friday 29 July at Hickstead’s Longines Royal International horse show.
For the full list of standings click here.