Irelands most decorated international show jumper, Cian OConnor, had his career to date celebrated in the Main Arena of the RDS this evening after he recently surpassed 150 appearances in the green jacket. Presented with a commemorative, custom-made KEP Italia helmet on behalf of Horse Sport Ireland, the national governing body for equestrian sports in Ireland, OConnor was given a rousing reception by the packed RDS stands to acknowledge his 25 years in the saddle for his country. Yesterdays Aga Khan Trophy appearance was OConnors 152nd in the green jacket, and his 18th for the famous Nations Cup trophy at the Dublin Horse Show. OConnor made his senior Irish debut in 1999 when appearing on the victorious team who won the Nations Cup of Greece in Athens. Since then, he has competed on a remarkable 28 other winning Nations Cup teams, with the most recent being Irelands success in Aachen, []

Mikey Pender and Hearton du Bois Halleux, who was retired after a third Defender Puissance victory, shared with Joseph Trunkfield (GBR) and Cruze (Photos: Sportfot) Hearton du Bois retired after third Puissance triumph Home riders have enjoyed a bountiful time at the Dublin Horse Show to date and they added to the five-star kitty as Mikey Pender and Hearton du Bois Halleux shared the 30,000 Defender Puissance with British athlete Joe Trunkfield and Cruze in front a packed attendance at the RDS tonight. It was a third success for Pender and Hearton du Bois Halleux, the horse he had also won a Hickstead Derby with and Pender revealed afterwards that he was retiring the 17-year-old from competitive fare, providing his venerable ally with a fitting conclusion to a stellar career. Commandant Geoff Curran might have been expected to feature over the famous wall, having won the Puissance with Bishops Quarter []

Today we say goodbye to another legend, the big personality that was Clayton Fredericks WEG and Olympic silver medalist partner Ben Along Time. With an incredible team behind him until the very end, Ben stood as a glowing example of not only his incredible results on the world stage, but of the utmost care and support provided to an upper-level horse throughout his life. Sending all the love to the McAuleys, Clayton, and everyone else who made Bens life an amazing one.U.S. Weekend ActionApplewood Farm YEH & Mini Event (Califon, NJ) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times]Bromont CCI-S Horse Trials (Bromont, Quebec) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Scoring] [XC Preview]Caber Farm H.T. (Onalaska, WA) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]Full Gallop Farm August HT (Aiken, SC) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Scoring]Genesee Valley Riding & Driving Club H.T. (Pending USEF Approval) (Geneseo, NY) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Scoring]Hunters Run H.T. (Metamora, MI) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Scoring]Ocala Summer H.T. II (Ocala, FL) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]The Event at Archer (Cheyenne, WY) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]Waredaca Farm H.T. (Laytonsville, MD) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]UK International EventsFrickley Park International and Regional Championships (South Yorkshire) [Info] [Entries] [Scoring]European International EventsFEI Nations Cup (Arville, Belgium) [Website] [Entries] [Scoring] [XC Preview] [Show Jumping Live Stream] [Cross Country Live Stream] Links to Start Your Sunday:Horsey Florida towns council OKs controversial development in equestrian preserveA Scotty-Shaped Memory Lane: Ian Stark at Blair CastleTraining in the Right Way: Limited Knowledge Is Limited JudgementPressure Proof with Daniel Stewart: Exposure for ClosureSmile for the Camera: Adams Horse Supply to Host ATC Scavenger Hunt at the AECMorning Viewing: Learn a little more about the powerhouse that is Germany on the dressage side of things, and how their Olympic gold batting average in the sport is just a bit higher than many may realize.