Monday, December 2, 2024

Irish showjumpers once more shining bright on the world stage

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Richard Howley has secured a second five-star victory in a matter of weeks in Mexico, after delivering with Mansini Ltd in the 1.45m ranking class of the Major League Show Jumping series in Monterrey today (Sunday).

On a day when a legend of Irish show jumping, the great Con Power died, it was fitting that the Irish were doing the business around the globe, as Frano Derwin was also victorious, edging out Max Wachman in a thrilling three-star class in Spain.

Howley was successful at five-star level with Zodiak Du Buisson Z in Coapexpan last month and he was at it again, this time at the La Silla complex, as Mansini Ltd scored with an electric jump-off round.

The Enniscrone pilot and his 15-year-old partner galloped to a clear round in 41.06 seconds, which was almost a second a half quicker than runner-up Nicola Philippaerts (BEL) and Derby De Riverland.

This came 24 hours after Howley and Zodiak were key contributors to the Roadrunners’ MJLS team success.

“It was a great win this morning (Mexico time),” said Howley. “Mansini has been a fantastic horse for me. He’s a true winner. He always tries his best and when I give him the right instructions, he always tries to deliver.

“It was a very competitive jump-off class with some of the best riders and horses in the world. So it’s always a pleasure and an honour to win at these five-star shows and to win with the Roadrunners last night too.”

Howley was looking forward to adding to his yield from the lucrative weekend with Zodiak in the Grand Prix later this evening, after they continued their good form last night, with only one time fault from two rounds.

Kaitlin Campbell (USA) with Armentos and Erynn Ballard (CAN) riding Fave D’authuit also left every rail intact to ensure another victory for the Roadrunners and maintain their lead at the top of the standings.

Castlemagner man, Shane Sweetnam navigated a double clear with Irandole Du Flot for Maccabi United, who finished in second and hold the same position in the overall standings.

Conor Swail is second in the individual standings, behind American Kent Farrington. The Downpatrick athlete just missed out on a podium in a five-star class earlier on, bagging fourth in the 1.55m ranking jump-off class with Dublin Horse Show five-star winner, Theo 160.

A total of 39 pairings registered for the competition, with a strong Irish contingent, but Swail and Theo were the only representatives to be among the five combos progressing to the tie-breaker. Swail guided his partner to a second clear round in a time of 41.07 seconds.

Victory went to Daniel Deusser (GER), with Erynn Ballard (CAN) runner-up and local rider, Carlos Hank Guerreiro completing the podium.

The Irish prospered all week at Vejer de la Frontera on the third week of the Andalucía October Tour and the show finished in perfect fashion, with three of the first four home in the Cadiz Grand Prix representing the green, white and orange.

On a day when there were wins in lower-tier classes for Nicholas Connors and Michelle Kenny and a podium finish for Seamus Hughes Kennedy, it was fitting that the Irish would have such a stranglehold on the 1.55m feature in the David Broome Arena.

Ten of the 53 combinations cleared the 16 jumping efforts and it was Hughes Kennedy and the Ennisnag Stud-bred, Clare Hughes-owned Irish Sport Horse Esi Rocky who was the pathfinder in the jump-off.

His horse produced a splendid second clear in a time of 40.93 seconds that only three other pairings could improve upon.

European U21 team gold medallist and individual silver medallist Derwin and his five-star winning mount from the Dublin Horse Show, Parvati Aeg were fifth into the ring for the tie-breaker and they set a standard that proved beyond the rest, going clear in 39.86.

Tipperary maestro Max Wachman was on board Fancy De Kergane, who has jumped countless clear rounds in Nations Cups for Cian O’Connor this year and they were agonisingly close to snatching the spoils from Derwin’s grasp. One imagines that the Cashel man could scarcely believe his eyes when he looked up and saw the scoreboard revealing that he had stopped the clock on 39.88.

Athlone’s Derwin could breathe a sigh of relief and another major victory was his.

“Today was a brilliant course,” Derwin declared afterwards. “It probably suited my horse a little bit. Once I can get the first couple of jumps over, ‘cos she’s very careful, then she gets going. With the double and then the triple being late in the course, that suited. She jumped very good, she’s a lovely horse.”

Derwin praised the contribution his father, Jim has made to the breakout year he has had in 2024.

“My dad does so much for me. His business is selling horses but he’s after getting so much into the show jumping. Horses he could have sold he’s after keeping for me to try and get me going in the sport. It’s brilliant. He does so much for me. I can’t thank him enough.”

This was the second Irish triumph of the week at the show, after Tom Wachman – brother of Max – had also topped the podium.

Tom was triumphant in the three-star 1.45m speed class on Cathalina S on Friday. Wachman and Coolmore Showjumping’s 15-year-old mare maintained their impressive form of late by leaving each of the 15 jumps in place and doing so in a rapid time of 63.63 seconds. 

There was a long wait for the Tipperary pilot, as the 12th of 65 onto the grass of the David Broome Arena, but one after one, they failed to improve upon his efforts, and those of his equine partner. Morocco’s El Ghali Boukaa got closest, going clear on A Kyss but in a time of 66.35 seconds, far removed from what was required to usurp the Irish combo.

Meanwhile, 800km away in Valencia, Commandant Geoff Curran raised the first Tricolour of the week when propelling Irish Sport Horse DHF Alliance to victory in three-star fare in Valencia.

The Army rider from Fenor, Co Waterford joined forces with the nine-year-old Alliance to score in the 1.45m speed class. Only 10 of the 38 participants gave themselves a chance with clear rounds but it was Curran and the Paul Douglas-bred gelding owned by Jess Stallard and the Ministry of Defence that were quickest around the Francisco Moura Arena, stopping the clock on 62.39 seconds.

Jack Ryan looks to have a real talent on his hands in the form of Irish Sport Horse DSH Lucky Junior, bred and owned by his uncle Seamus Drea. 

The eight-year-old son of BBS McGregor (ISH) and Luidam mare Dahlyi (ISH) propelled his young Kilkenny pilot to the silver medal position in the three-star two-phase class in Vejer de la Frontera yesterday.

Victory went to João Victor Castro Aguiar Gomes De Lima (BRA) with Charon van Moeshof, as they cleared the speed phase in a time of 26.11 but Ryan had to be delighted with the efforts of his horse, four years the junior of the winner but so accurate, alert and quick to claim the middle berth of the podium by stopping the clock at 27.47.

Niamh McEvoy, from Tyrone, was fourth on another eight-year-old, the Jordan Campbell-bred Pablo C (ISH).

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