Flawless Ireland make winning League of Nations start in Abu Dhabi

A flawless performance from The Underwriting Exchange Irish show jumping team secured a dominant victory in the first leg of the Longines League of Nations, Abu Dhabi today.

Micheal Blake's team of Denis Lynch, Trevor Breen, Jason Foley and Mikey Pender came into the competition ranked number one in the world, and cemented that position with a perfect score of zero faults, finishing eight clear of hosts UAE, with France in third on 12.

Delighted chef d'equipe Blake said: "What a victory - what a performance from the lads and their horses.

"We came in here as the number one team and that brings pressure, but these lads thrive on that pressure and produced a brilliant afternoon of jumping.

"To a man, they were exceptional. Denis has been in incredible form recently with Vistogrand and he led the way with a double clear.

"Trevor has come back from an awful injury, and for him to do that out there just shows the measure of the man.

"Jason too, this is his five-star debut on a brand-new horse, and they were clean as a whistle, and when you need Mikey to produce the goods for you he does it. It's magic, it really is. I'm over the moon for everyone involved."

Ireland got off to the perfect start when Lynch and his sensational 12-year-old Vistogrand produced a stunning clear round as pathfinder.

The pair have been in sparkling form of late, including World Cup podium finishes, and were foot perfect around Santiago Varela's course at Abu Dhabi.

Like Lynch before him, Breen was magnificent on Highland President to produce a second clear round. It meant Ireland were one of just three nations with clears from their first two combinations, alongside hosts UAE and France, with Jason Foley and Mikey Pender to come.

Foley and his brand new mare