Equestrian Sport: IRISH RIDERS performed well over the weekend, both in eventing and show jumping, with four speed class victories on two continents.
On Friday night in Florida, Malahide-based Conor Swail notched up his first win of the Wellington winter equestrian festival by taking the $6,000 Spy Coast Farm Speed Challenge on the nine-year-old Dutch warmblood stallion Gold Digger. "He has an open gallop and I knew I was quick," said the 36-year-old Swail.
Billy Twomey won the Big Tour speed class at Vejer de la Frontera, Spain, on Saturday with Cavinem, while Ivan Dalton won a similar event yesterday on Concact.
Harry Marshall scored twice over the weekend at Comporta in Portugal, winning Saturday's jump-off class on Mandarin Smoke and Friday's speed class on Audi's Morningstar.
Also in Portugal, the first international event of the European season saw Irish riders finish fourth and fifth in the two-star behind Australia's Andrew Hoy and Peaceful Consort, who finished on a dressage mark of 49.8.
Kilkenny-based Gilly Crawford led the field on Mr Aero but dropped to fifth at the finish. Four penalties added on the final phase to her flat work mark of 47.1 saw Sacha Pemble move ahead of Crawford to slot into fourth with Hyanie d'Aubrie. In the one-star, Carol Gee finished best of the Irish in fifth place with Fernhill T Scarlet on their dressage score of 53.9. The winner was Germany's Janet Weisner, who completed on 48.9 with Horstfeldes Libero.
