The vast majority of the riders and horses currently listed on the Irish eventing squad for this summer’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro competed over the weekend in the CIC3* class at Belton international horse trials in England.

Best-placed was Aoife Clark who finished fifth on 46.20 penalties with Richard Last’s Fernhill Adventure. Seventh individually at the London Games on Master Crusoe, Clark has always had a high regard for Fernhill Adventure, a 10-year-old gelding by Newmarket Venture on which she won a silver medal at the world breeding championships for young event horses at Le Lion d’Angers in 2013.

The Oxfordshire-based rider also placed 19th on her second squad horse, Wasting Light (54.40) with Co Down’s Clare Abbott completing in 11th place on Euro Prince (49.20), just ahead of another England-based rider, Mark Kyle, riding Jemilla (50.60). Not currently on the squad, Co Meath’s Sarah Ennis finished 15th with BLM Diamond Delux (52.90).

There were 10 other Irish combinations in the 122-strong class where the top three placings were filled by Australia’s Chris Burton riding Nobilis 18 (34.50), France’s Thomas Carlile with Quiro Hoy (34.50) and Germany’s Bettina Hoy on Seigneur Medicott (41.60).

In show jumping, Mayo’s Ciaran Nallon riding Dibidoe finished fourth in the featured 1.30m Grand Prix at the international pony show in Fontainebleau. The earlier 1.20m Grand Prix was dominated by Irish riders with Robbie Clancy finishing first (I’m A Tom Boy) and third (My Castlehill Lass), his rides being split by Abigail Boland on Little Miss Burberry.

Also in France, but at senior level, Mark McAuley won Sunday’s 1.45m jump-off class on Utchan de Belhem while in Lummen, Belgium, Tipperary’s Greg Broderick recorded a win in the 1.40m two-phase competition aboard Zuidam. At home, the latest round of the Connolly’s Red Mills spring tour, held at Maryville Equestrian in Co Cork on Saturday, was won by Dean Rogan riding Franco van Spieveld.