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Weekend equestrian round-up: Close calls for Irish riders

Dermott Lennon riding Loughview Lou-Lou was one of half a dozen riders in the six-bar competition to share second place behind Britain’s Nicole Pavitt at Bourg En Bresse

Tipperary’s Denis Lynch finished third in Friday evening’s 1.55m jump-off class in Madrid. Photo: Inpho

Mon May 22 2017 - 11:08

There were plenty of placings but no major wins for Irish international riders over the weekend.

Competing at five-star level on the Global Champions’ Tour in Madrid, Tipperary’s Denis Lynch finished third in Friday evening’s 1.55m jump-off class on Rushy Marsh Farm’s RMF Echo and partnered that 13-year-old Belgian Warmblood stallion into sixth place in Saturday’s 1.60m speed competition.

With one of just two double clears, Mark McAuley finished second in the 1.60m Grand Prix at Bourg En Bresse on Sunday riding Eva Lundin’s 13-year-old Swedish Warmblood gelding Miebello. The combination stopped the clock on 43.10 seconds with Mathieu Billot keeping the home crowd happy when clear in 42.35 on Shiva d’Amaury. Based in Italy, Co Louth native McAuley was a member of the Irish team who recently won the Drammen Nations’ Cup in Norway.

On Saturday at the French venue, Co Down’s Dermott Lennon riding Loughview Lou-Lou was one of half a dozen riders in the six-bar competition to share second place behind Britain’s Nicole Pavitt on Shahenaz.

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Co Mayo’s Jonathan Gordon was in action at three-star level in Hongcheon in the Republic of Korea where he partnered Caesa into third place in Saturday’s 1.45m Grand Prix.

At home, the main jumping action over the weekend took place at the Galway Equestrian Centre, Athenry where, on Sunday, Liam O’Meara continued his domination of the national Grand Prix league.

Only three combinations from the 13 who progressed from the first round went clear in the second, O’Meara winning in 41.86 with his own 13-year-old Coolcaum Hill gelding Mr Coolcaum and placing third with his wife Helen Sheridan’s Curraghgraigue Jack Take Flight (47.61). Sven Hadley split the pair when stopping the clock on 44.88 with Sumas Taloubet.

In the Irish Sport Horse Studbook classes for young show jumping horses, Jessica Burke won the seven-year-old class with the only double clear on the Cassino mare Kashino who was bred in Co Galway by owner Jackie Lee out of the Captain Clover mare Captain Pride. Six horses divided the six-year-old class while a similar number jumped double clear to split the prize-fund in the five-year-old section.

Gloucestershire-based Irish event rider Jonty Evans finished second in a section of the CIC2* at Rockingham on the Al Pacino W gelding Alamo. The nine-year-old is one of two horses Evans has entered for the CCI2* class at the upcoming Tattersalls international horse trials.

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