Equestrian newsIreland's showjumpers stormed to victory in the prestigious Aachen Nations Cup in Germany yesterday and are now within an ace of taking the lead in the Samsung Super League standings.

The victory puts the Irish a mere half point adrift of France, team gold medallists at last year's world games and winners of the first two Super League rounds in La Baule and Rome.

Yesterday's win was the third in a row for Ireland, following last month's triumph at the Swiss fixture in St Gallen and last weekend's success in Hamina, Finland, where the B team claimed the Nations Cup.

But Aachen is the big one, and the Irish have failed to find the winner's enclosure there since 1995 when the dream team of Peter Charles, Eddie Macken, Trevor Coyle and Captain John Ledingham scored.

Charles, who also took the European crown that year, was back on the squad yesterday and he more than played his part, going clear in the first round for a single time fault with his new mare Pershing.

Kevin Babington, a member of the 2001 European gold medal team with Charles, also came home on just one with Carling King, while a fence off and a time fault for Billy Twomey with the stallion Luidam left the Irish on seven at the break.

The Belgians were out in front on a clean sheet, with the Germans - desperate to win on home ground - challenging well in second on five. But the second-round reshuffle did the hosts no good and they eventually slid to a share of third with wild-card entries America.