Kildare's Talbot helps Irish Show Jumping team to first Nations Cup win of 2026
The victorious Irish Show Jumping team from left, Mark McAuley, Niall Talbot, Chef d’Équipe: Jessica Kurten, Seamus Hughes Kennedy and Harry Allen
The Irish Show Jumping team celebrated their first senior Nations Cup victory of 2026 with a superb performance on Friday in the Longines EEF Series at Scuderia La Caccia in Bedizzole, Italy, emerging victorious after a dramatic jump-off against the host nation, with Kildare's Niall Talbot playing a key role in Ireland's success.
The Irish quartet of Kildare's Niall Talbot on Charming Dream, Wexford's Harry Allen riding Edison de Hus, Kilkenny's Seamus Hughes Kennedy with the Sinead Kennedy-bred Cosmo and Louth's Mark McAuley aboard Rossi VD Heffinck, combined brilliantly to secure victory ahead of Italy in second place and Switzerland in third.
The result marked an important breakthrough for the Irish team, delivering their first victory since Jessica Kurten took over from Michael Blake as Irish team manager in December 2025.
Thirteen nations lined up in Bedizzole, including Brazil, Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and Ukraine, with the stunning Scuderia La Caccia venue providing a spectacular backdrop near the shores of Lake Garda.
The competition quickly developed into a battle between some of Europe’s strongest Nations Cup teams. Switzerland and Italy shared the lead after the opening round on a flawless score of zero, while Ireland remained firmly in contention heading into a pressure-filled second round.
Mark McAuley produced a crucial clear round aboard Rossi VD Heffinck to keep Ireland’s hopes alive before Italy answered immediately with another immaculate performance to force a jump-off in front of an enthusiastic home crowd.
Ireland turned to Harry Allen and Edison de Hus for the deciding round- and the talented combination delivered emphatically. Having already jumped double clear during the Nations Cup competition, Allen produced a third flawless round of the day with remarkable composure and speed to secure the win. Italy’s hopes faded when Piergiorgio Bucci lowered an early rail in the jump-off, confirming Ireland’s triumph.
Chef d’equipe Jessica Kürten praised the Irish riders and horses following an outstanding collective performance. “I’m very proud of them. This is a really great, great team of riders and horses and I was delighted to be able to put this team together to come here to Bedizzole,” said Kürten.
“Mark McAuley has been really growing with the team and Rossi is a really talented horse that has been doing some exceptional results this year. So it was also time for him now to come on the team. Their performance today was absolutely fantastic.
Kürten also highlighted the wider importance of the Longines EEF Series in Ireland’s long-term development strategy and the pathway it provides for future championship riders and horses.
“They will be appearing again on the team. Obviously, there’s so many team events. The next important date in the EEF Series is Deauville, and some of them will be appearing on the team in Deauville. If we go to Kronenberg, then some of them will be on the team there. Some of them will be moving up to five-star level.
“This is our plan: make use of the EEF to grow our riders and horses. For the future, we have some of the riders here that might be looking towards the Olympics. We’re trying to build horses and riders towards the Olympic goal, and this is why the Longines EEF Series is especially good for us.
Launched in 2020 by the European Equestrian Federation in partnership with Longines, the Longines EEF Series was created to provide developing riders, horses and nations with a meaningful pathway into elite team competition. Now in its sixth edition, the Series has become one of the most important development circuits in European show jumping.
Irish Horse Board Director General Alison Corbally added, "Many congratulations to all of the Irish team members and manager Jessica Kurten on this hard-fought win in the EEF Series Nations Cup. A special mention also for Kilkenny's Sinead Brennan as the breeder of MHS Cosmo (ISH), ridden by Seamus Hughes Kennedy."
