Conor Swail was the hero as Ireland took home the Aga Khan trophy after winning The Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup at the RDS Dublin Horse Show this afternoon.
Swail edged out France's Marc Dilasser in a dramatic jump-off after an enthralling day of jumping.
Dilasser was in sensational form all day and set the tone from his very first run, putting in a perfect display to lay down a marker from the French.
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Swail responded for Ireland however, and the 51 year-old put in a flawless performance to settle the nerves for the home competitors.
In difficult conditions, Ireland and France were the only two countries that really got to grips with the course, with Brazil and Norway in particular struggling massively.
Both teams went tit-for-tat over the course of three hours or so, with both nations putting in sensational performances. Dilasser was magnificent for France and put the French in a commanding position with the competition drawing to a close.
France thought they had it won heading into Ireland's final ride of the competition. Olympian Cian O'Connor had the weight of the RDS on his shoulders and needed a clean performance to secure Ireland a place in the jump-off.
The Meath man made no mistake and got Ireland into a jump-off finale against the French after his horse 'Kilkenny' put in a terrific performance when it mattered most.
Dilasser was first out in the finale for the French and made a slight mistake early on to finish with a time of 31.81.
Swail re-entered the arena with that target in mind, and the 51-year-old comfortably beat that marker to bring the Aga Khan Cup back to Ireland.
Fellow teammates Cian O'Connor, Max Wachman and Shane Sweetnam all played vital roles in the historic victory. O'Connor and Sweetnam both had clear rounds, while 19 year-old star for the future Max Wachman came so close to a clean run in an early round, knocking over the final fence of the circuit.
But for Swail, the World Number four was the hero and put the final touches on Ireland's victory. His marvellous jump-off display means Ireland take home the Aga Khan Cup for the first time since 2015.
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