Cork-based Michael Ryan has been crowned winner of the feature event at the 2016 Millstreet International Horse Trials, landing the Noel C Duggan Engineering CCI3* class with The Irish Sport Horse Dunlough Striker.

Ryan (pictured above) and the 11-year-old bay gelding had been lying in sixth place following Friday’s opening Dressage phase, moving up to second after Cross Country on Saturday. A foot-perfect clear Show Jumping round today at the Green Glens arena in Millstreet put pressure on overnight leader Aoife Clark who was last to go with Pink Gin (ISH)(TIH). Four fences down dropped Clark down to seventh and saw Ryan and Dunlough Striker emerge as winners.

Irish riders all mounted on Irish-bred horses filled the top three places on the podium, with Austin O’Connor finishing as runner-up with Kilpatrick Knight (ISH)(TIH) and Cathal Daniels in third with Rioghan Rua (ISH). American visitor Lillian Heard came home in fourth with LCC Barnaby, who is also and Irish Sport Horse, while New Zealander Jessie Campbell finished fifth with Cleveland.

The earlier Sport Ireland CCI2* class at Millstreet saw Austin O’Connor finish best of the Irish in sixth with Lucky Contender (ISH) behind Australian winner Kevin McNab riding The Irish Sport Horse Willunga.

Full results available from Rechenstelle.de

Horse Sport Ireland