The richest Puissance in the world always gets huge crowds - they come to watch the thrills and spills and are never disappointed!

With euro11,300 on offer for the winner, euro7,600 for second place, euro4,600 for third place, euro3,600 for fourth place, euro2,600 for fifth place, euro1,800 for sixth place, euro1,400 for seventh place, euro1,100 for eight place - and this year we saw 11 combinations line up for the honour of jumping the puissance wall.

The starting height was 1.80m as it always is - the height to beat from 2004 was 2.27m when three combinations shared first place - John Whitaker, Captain David O'Brien and Cian O'Connor and all three riders retured this year with John and David returning with the same horses.

Cian returned with a new horse - obviously renamed to reflect his new owner - Mark Devey, a part owner in Harmony Cottage Farm and also his own Kingsdale Stables.

John Whitaker drew first out and he had no troubles with the first 3 rounds which saw the wall at 2m with the Selle Francais stallion, Exploit du Roulard - pictured below left - but when the wall hit 2.10m the horse, who was equal 1st in 2004, didn't want to play and clocked up four faults over the triple bar which sat 1.50m x 1.80m leaving the competition.

Marcus Wenz for Germany drew second to go with Aspirant by Zyx - pictured below right - another Selle Francais horse, this time a gelding and they bowed out of the competition at 2m.

Next to go was again for Germany was Rene Tebbel with Arry, the Bayern bred 10 year old gelding and they didn't have a wonderful shot at the big prize money on offer when they flung the top brick off the wall.

A great roar greeted Ireland's Captain David O'Brien with the Minster for Defence's 14 year old grey Cruising mare, Cruisehill - this pair

were equal first in 2004 but again, like John's mount, she - pictured below left - didn't want to play this year and bowed out at 2.10m when they took a brick out of the wall.

The brave mare won the hearts of the huge crowd in 2004 when she managed to leave everything in place even though the photos showed she was literally lying on the top of the wall.
France's Pierre Jarry and Ionico -pictured below-were another combination to leave the competition at 2.10m even though they look to be doing it easy below.
The in-form Nick Skelton was next out and he is a legend in the world have showjumping, having come back not so long ago after a broken neck to again ride at top level and he was already having a good
having shared first place honours with America's Beezie Madden in the 6 Bar. His handsome grey stallion, Russell - pictured below left over 2.10m - , also owned by the Hales family is very much a specialty horse who is so versatile that he is ever competitive in speed classes, 6 bars and today proved himself again over the Puissance wall when he was the outright winner of the class taking the wall successfully at 2.10m. There was no doubt that the horse would have continued to easily soar over the wall, possibly over last years 2.27m but there was nobody left to challenge the pair!
Ears pricked, and almost a smile on his face, Russell - pictured left, right and below - looked like a pony out playing for the day - he even managed to make the right shape over the huge wall - something you don't often see over the Puissance and luck was on his side when the top brick shifted - picked right - but stayed in place!
Next for Ireland was Shane Breen, with Austin Broderick's Selle Francais gelding Iman D'Occagnes - pictured below left - and they too made it through 1.80m, 1.90m, 2m but it came unstuck at 2.10m when they too left the competition.

Another of the showjumping legends, Michael Whitaker left the competition after round one with Heaume du Malias, a 10 year old Papilion Rouge stallion.

Libya, represented for the first time in anyone's memory, was the next entrant into this Puissance competition and Fabrice Lyon, currently based in Britain made it through the first two heights but at 2m the 8 year old black gelding, Joy des Bruyeres - pictured below - said he had done his best and refused at the wall which saw them leave the competition.

Two to go and both were representing Ireland - and both were at the centre of the current Irish showjumping woes - Harry Marshall and Cian O'Connor!
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