Irish Team Impresses to Win the €250,000 Barrière Nations Cup CSIO 5*

By Jumper News on 2025-06-07

La Baule, France – June 06, 2025 – Fourteen years after their most recent success, on Friday the Irish team won the Barrière Nations Cup CSIO 5* at the Jumping international de La Baule CSIO 5* – Officiel de France. The green jackets beat Belgium and Brazil, while France had to make do with eighth place.

The suspense was total and intense, until the round of the last rider on the Barrière Nations Cup CSIO 5*, namely Belgian Gilles Thomas (BEL), who needed to ride a clear round to force Ireland into a play-off. However, at the second spread fence, a fault sealed the ranking for the event for good. Fourteen years after their last victory at La Baule, with Cian O’Connor (IRL), Shane Sweetnam (IRL), Billy Twomey (IRL) and Cameron Hanley (IRL), the Irish obtained their third success in the resort on France’s west coast (after 2011 and 1994). It was a hard-fought triumph without a single penalty point.

Having aligned a team made up of two experienced riders, Cian O’Connor (IRL) & Bentley de Sury and Bertram Allen (IRL) & Qonquest de Rigo, alongside two young emerging riders, Seamus Hughes Kennedy (IRL) & on ESI Rocky and Tom Wachman (IRL) & Tabasco de Toxandria Z, respectively aged 22 and 20 years, team manager Michael Blake made a successful gamble.

**Tom Wachman** (IRL) & **Tabasco de Toxandria Z**

“Winning a Nations Cup like this one at La Baule, which is a wonderful competition, is a great source of joy,” was Blake’s reaction. “We’ve been waiting for a day like this for so long. Today, I selected two experienced riders and two ‘babies’ who have plenty of talent! I wanted to give them their chance. When Ireland last won, Tom was six years old, Seamus was eight and Bertram was scarcely sixteen! That gives you an idea of what I had at my disposal. For the European Championships this summer, I already have 14 names on my list”.

On the course designed by track superintendent Grégory Bodo (FRA), with a very tricky last water jump / double, only 13 of the 40 duos to start completed the first leg with a clear round and only six repeated the feat in the second act.

**Seamus** **Hughes Kennedy** (IRL) & **ESI Rocky**

Among them were Bertram Allen (IRL) on the very promising Qonquest de Rigo, aged only 9 years, and Seamus Hughes Kennedy (IRL) on ESI Rocky, with whom he already tasted victory in the individual as well as team events at the 2023 Young Riders European Championships and obtained fourth place on the Rolex Grand Prix in Romet two weeks ago.

**Cian O’Connor** (IRL) & **Bentley du Sury**

With Ireland ensured of a penalty-free finish, Cian O’Connor (IRL) did not even have to contest the final course. “My horse Bently is very experienced and did a great job in the first leg,” said the world number eight rider. “After that, the young lads put on a great performance”.

With Nicola Philippaerts (BEL) & on Katanga v/h Dingeshof, Pieter Devos (BEL) & Casual DV Z, Abdel Saïd (BEL) & Bonne Amie and Gilles Thomas (BEL) & on Ermitage Kallone, the Belgian team, despite four clear rounds in the first leg, had to make do with second place after 4 penalty points.

After falling behind in the first act but making a fine comeback in the second with three clear rounds, Luciana Diniz (BRA) & on Vertigo du Désert, Pedro Veniss (BEL)& Nimrod de Muze Imperio Egipcio, Stephan de Freitas Barcha (BRA) & Chevaux Primavera Império Egípcio and Rodrigo Pessoa (BRA) & on Major Tom, representing Brazil, finished on the third step of the podium.

France finished some way behind. Team manager Édouard Coupérie (FRA) had decided to count on two young riders, Nina Mallevaey (FRA), world number 31 and the leading under-25 rider, and Jeanne Sadran (FRA), combined with two more experienced riders, French number one and world number nine Kevin Staut (FRA) plus Marc Dilasser (FRA), both on horses that were new to this level. Unfortunately, the French team soon lost all hope of winning, eight years after their most recent success in La Baule. With already twelve penalty points on completion of the first leg, the French team were unable to redress the balance, with only one clear round from eight attempts at the course (by Mallevaey and Dynastie de Beaufour in the second leg). They finished in eighth place with 24 penalty points against them.