Five Star Shows to be Fore in this Weekends Action

Two big five-star shows dominate this weekend's equestrian action for Irish riders competing in Europe.

Austria hosts its first ever Global Champions' Tour event at the Rathausplatz in Vienna, with a series of top-level competitions reaching their climax with Saturday's 285,000 euro Grand Prix.

Irish riders Denis Lynch and Billy Twomey will compete at Vienna in what is the 11th and penultimate leg of the Global Champions Tour current season, while in the concurrent two-star classes, 17 year-old Bertram Allen from Wexford flies the tricolour.

In four-star dressage at Vienna, Anna Merveldt is Ireland's sole entrant.

In Barcelona, Spain, meanwhile, five star show jumping sees Shane Breen, Shane Carey and Conor Swail line out for Ireland, with the Grand Prix, worth 130,000 euro in prize money and with a car going to the winner, taking place on Friday night.

Irish show jumpers will also compete this busy weekend at La Bagnaia in Italy, Leudelange in Luxembourg, Neeroeteren, Belgium, Lexington and New Albany in the USA, and Jardy in France.

In Eventing, Austin O'Connor and Sacha Hourigan take part in the two and one-star classes at Ardingly in Great Britain.