Ireland's ponies were faring better than the lone senior rider Conor Swail at the World Cup show in Verona yesterday, with Kilkenny's Lorraine O'Brien finishing fourth in the speed class to guarantee herself a slot on the starting grid for this afternoon's pony Grand Prix.
O'Brien, who misses another year in ponies by just 11 days as she celebrates her 16th birthday on December 20th, has earned a silver award at the last two talent-spotting Spillers Golden Saddle finals and, just over a fortnight ago, also took the Dragonhold award as best rider in the 14-16-year-old category.
A confident clear four from the end of yesterday's Grand Prix qualifier put O'Brien and the chestnut mare Scarlet H into fourth and none of the remaining three could relegate the Irish duo. Top slot went to Germany's Ulrike Bruns with Nelly Kim, a quarter of a second ahead of Belgium's Julle-Pascal Ruant with the Irish-bred Ballybin.
Andrew Ryan, who was clear but slow with Barrys Beauty, slotted into 17th for a definite place in the Grand Prix, but the original ruling that only the top 22 would qualify was changed and all the four-faulters were also allowed through. Both Barry Griffin (Drummanor Mill) and Gerald O'Neill (Loughnatousa Falcon), who faulted once, but Ivan Dalton's two mistakes with Kildysart Lad mean he misses out on the action this afternoon.
The single Irish representative in the horse classes, Conor Swail, failed to make it into the prizefund in any of yesterday's three classes, most disappointingly in the World Cup eliminator. Germany's Lars Nieberg headed the line-up with Albertino.
But there was at least Irish blood at the top of the line in Thursday night's Puissance, when the Cavalier gelding Secret Love (Jerry Smit) shared the limelight with Colombia's Jamani van de Helle (Juan Carlos Garcia).
WORLD CUP PRE-ELIMINATOR - 1, Germany's Albertino (Lars Nieberg); 2, Sweden's Pia-Lotta (Rolf-Goran Bengtsson); 3, Germany's Perina (Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum); 4, Colombia's Iron (Juan Carlos Garcia); 5, Switzerland's Himmerdor (Paul Freimuller); equal 6, Belgium's O De Pomme (Stanny van Paesschen) and Italy's Loro Piana Paprika della Loggia (Roberto Arioldi). PUISSANCE - Equal 1, Italy's Secret Love (Jerry Smit) and Colombia's Jamani van de Helle (Juan Carlos Garcia); equal 3, Italy's Lados 7 (Massimo Grossato) and Belgium's Zermatt (Stanny van Paesschen). JUMP-OFF CLASS - 1, Sweden's Opstalans Medline (Rolf-Goran Bengtsson); 2, Germany's Shutterfly (Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum); 3, Switzerland's Tell The Difference (Paul Freimuller); 4, Italy's Loro Piana Hamlet van St Marteen (Filippo Moyersoen); 5, Germany's Lincoln L (Markus Merschformann); 6, Switzerland's Calvaswiss Grandetto (Urs Fah). SPEED CLASS - 1, France's Oline Delisse (Michel Robert); 2, Germany's Filias (Otto Becker); 3, Belgium's Prudence de Bioagrico (Stanny van Paesschen); 4, Italy's Cadre Noir (Andrea Bracci); 5, Colombia's Ihorn (Juan Carlos Garcia); 6, Belgium's Prins Ramiro (Gilbert de Rook). PONIES, SPEED CLASS (Grand Prix qualifier) - 1, Germany's Nelly Kim (Ulrike Bruns); 2, Belgium's Ballybin (Julle-Pascal Ruant); 3, Switzerland's Machno Carwyn (Faye Schoch); 4, Ireland's Scarlet H (Lorraine O'Brien); 5, Belgium's Schicky Micky (Celine Schoonbroodt); 6, Italy's Atlanta (Clio Boni). WARM-UP - 1, Switzerland's Machno Carwyn (Faye Schoch); 2, Holland's Vicki de la Haye (Roxanne van Rijswijk); 3, Italy's Little Rocky (Lisa de Coi); 4, Italy's Little Switch (Silvia Albenese); 5, Italy's Jasmin (Simone Coata); 6, Belgium's Ballybin (Jul le-Pascal Ruant).
