Seven international wins for Green Jackets on memorable weekCiaran Nallon (main picture with the soaring Casilla Blue PS and below on the victory podium) had what was surely one of the most lucrative shows of his nascent career with two five-star victories at the Longines Global Champions Tour leg in Ramatuelle, St Tropez last week.The first of those triumphs, on Thursday, came on a day when Cian OConnor and Daniel Coyle also secured elite successes.In all, there were seven international victories at two-star 1.45m or higher, and with a four-star Nations Cup win too in Sopot under the stewardship of Taylor Vard, and Jessica Krtens five-star squad fighting back for a bronze medal in La Baule, it was truly a green-letter week for Irish show jumping.Nallon kicked it off on a tremendous Thursday for Irish riders, by supplying two clear rounds in contribution to his team, Riesenbeck International getting over the line in the Longines Global Champions League.Coming just a week after Max Wachmans League heroics for New York in nearby Cannes, the young Mayo pilot combined with German Christian Kukuk to secure the top spot.Nallon and Casilla Blue take the plaudits from an appreciative Ramatuelle audience after contributing two clear rounds as Riesenbeck International won the Longines Global Champions League leg in St TropezNallon and Casalla Blue PS (Beerbaum Stables) have been producing some excellent results on LGCT all year and they secured a silver medal in the opening 1.60m speed class before supplying another clear round in the 1.55m speed class to finish sixth.Kukuks triumph on Checker 47 helped vault them to the summit of the table, as that duos eight faults in the opening class had left them in fourth.And Kukuk was quick to praise his partner for keeping them in the mix.Even after the first round, I had a good feeling, said Kukuk. Ciaran had a really, really great round and, to be honest, I was also happy with my round despite the two down because Checker felt very good.Ciaran did a great round again (in the second class). His performance was outstanding today with Casalla.Around about the same time, and also in France, Cian OConnor and Genghis Khan (Coolmore Showjumping) came out on top of a thrilling jump-off when denying home supporters, and most specifically, Kevin Staut by the razor-thin margin of four-hundredths of a second in a 1.50m speed class at La Baule.OConnor and his talented 10-year-old (above) revelled under the blue sky at the Franois Andr Stadium and having left all the obstacles intact, stopped the clock in 59.57, which would prove just enough to see off Staut, with Felin De Hus HDC.There was something for the French to be happy about however, as the victorious horse was returning to the land of his birthIt always gives you confidence to win a major class on the first day of a show, said OConnor. Ive been coming to La Baule for many years, and its always a pleasure.Genghis Khan is a French-bred horse, and its fantastic for his breeders to see him return to France and, even better, to see him win here.Coyle completed a stupendous few hours at the highest level for Irish athletes, by taking the top two places at Spruce Meadows. His former mentor and long-time friend, Conor Swail placed a cherry on top by completing a clean sweep.The Recon Metal Cup served as the weeks key qualifying competition for Saturdays RBC Grand Prix of Canada, presented by Rolex, drawing 46 athletes to the International Ring.Riders stepped through the iconic Clock Tower to face the 605m track, featuring 13 obstacles (16 efforts), and a time allowed of 91 seconds in what was a 1.55m class at the famed Calgary arena.Only 12 combinations answered every question asked of the course and advanced to the jump-off but it was Coyle who dominated winning with Farrel (Ariel Grange), stopping the timers in 38.63 in the tiebreaker to cement victory.The pair (above) actually fell behind the target early on but a couple of very tight turns helped make up ground after falling behind early on. In the end, he also claimed the silver ribbon with Farrels Lothlorien Farm stablemate Urville Z, clocking 39.47.Swail also had two horses in the jump-off. Theo 160 (Mannon Farms) knocked the penultimate obstacle in pursuit of the time to be seventh but the Down man was last in with Clonterm Obolensky (Oliver Glancy), the Irish Sport Horse bred in Co Meath by Brian Duff.They were two-tenths in front at the first checkpoint but the tight turns executed by Coyle and his 16-year-old were uncatchable.Spruce Meadows is great, said the Derry native. You come here for the four tournaments and you stay in one place, which we dont get to do much. The horses can grow every week and you can jump a bigger class or a smaller class depending how your week is going so its a really big thing in our schedule.Earlier on, Swail had introduced his two-star winning machine Kazelli VDL to five-star company and he looked very comfortable indeed, jumping to second in the Francis Family Cup 1.50m behind Jos Verlooy and Parise Van Den Dael.Nallon added to the five-star tally for Irish athletes, which he achieved in Ramatuelle on Friday with Megalon K (Beerbaum Stables).It was a sensational display by the pair (above) to win the 1.50m jump-off class with a definitive time of 34.77 when recording their second clear, for it looked as if Katrin Eckermann (GER) and Iron Dames Cascajall NRW had done enough with their standard of 34.90.If I hadnt been watching Katrins round I dont think Id have taken the risk! Nallon said afterwards in relation to a turnback executed by the German that had spectators gasping in the stands.Taking the win yesterday, and again today I think under the south of France sun might just be our lucky charm.On Saturday, Coyle and Farrel would return to the Spruce Meadows podium but not for the first time in recent weeks, it was a bit bittersweet to be a bronze medallist in the RBC Grand Prix of Canada, presented by Rolex, with by some distance the quickest time of 41.99 in the jump-off of just six combinations.One rub of a pole cost them first prize in the International Ring but it was still an excellent show once more from the deadly duo.The same day, Shane Sweetnam and Pia Maria H (Seabrook/Sweetnam) were fifth in a 1.50m jump-off class, while OConnor and Bertram Allen (were fourth and fifth in Sundays Grand Prix, riding Chatolinue PS and Qonquest De Rigo respectively.Billy Twomey left Sopot with the major pot on Sunday, partnering his own Ace of Hearts Z to glory in the four-star Grand Prix at the Polish venue.The duo (above) had provided the clear round as anchors, that secured a jump-off spot for Ireland in the Nations Cup a couple of days earlier, and with Alex Butler and Max Wachman also contributing significantly, it was left to Shane Breen and Scarteen to bring it home against the clock.On Sunday, Twomey and Ace of Hearts completed a memorable double. The technical course asked many questions, that for many, went unanswered but the Cork veteran and his ten-year-old stallion were well up to the task, posting two blemish-free rounds, the second in a time of 41.62 that was a second quicker than that recorded by runner-up, Roberto Previtali (ITA) with Quirinus 27.Eoin McMahon was a silver medallist in Sentower Parks four-star Grand Prix the same day. The Cratloe pilot and Disney Z (Baekgaarden Youngster) were agonisingly close in the Oakland Arena, but victory eluded him in Oudsbergen by two-tenths of a second.The pair jumped a brilliant double clear in the 1.60m class, and 42.58 earned them 21,100, with the overall honours going to Brazils Yuri Mansur, with Mister Jup (42.38).His fellow Clare native, Philip McGuane bagged a second international success in as many weeks, following up last weeks four-star triumph with a two-star victory in the 1.45m Welcome Takes at HITS Saugerties.The New Yorkers might have been anticipating the conclusion of a 53-year famine to become NBA champions but McGuane has been much more prolific of late and he guided Paso Doble SCF (Evergate Stables) to top spot thanks to a jump-off time of 40.29 in the Douglas Elliman GP Stadium on Friday night (above).She is a very good jumper, a clear round machine, said McGuane of the 11-year-old mare. I was just going for a nice, smooth, jump-off round with her. A lot of people had the skinny down, so I just made sure I jumped that well, and the rest turned great.Jordan Coyle made it a good week the Ardmore clan, as the elder sibling cantered to an easy success in the two-star Grand Prix in Peelbergen on Saturday, just a couple of days after Daniels 1-2 at Spruce Meadows..The US-based athlete enjoyed going Dutch with Cordiamo (Elan Farm) absolutely blitzing the opposition in the 1.45m jump-off in the Van Mossel Arena. A dozen combinations resumed for the tiebreaker but this was a one-sided affair, as Coyle and his 10-year-old set a time of 39.19 that was more than two and a half seconds quicker than the mark recorded by runners-up Enno Klaphake (GER) and Chacvarlon PS.Jordan Coyle and Cordiamo stand to attention as one of seven international class winners at two-star 1.45m and higher for the Irish last weekBREEDINGCLONTERM OBOLENSKY (ISH) 2016 stallion by Cornet Obolensky (BWP) out of She Has The Lux (ISH) by Lux Z (HANN). Breeder: Brian Duff, Ashbourne, Co. Meath. Owner: Oliver Raymond Glancy. Rider: Conor Swail (IRL).The post Nallons sizzling St Tropez double appeared first on .