MEREL Blom-Hulsman became the first rider from The Netherlands to win a gold medal at the FEI WBFSH eventing world championships for young horses, when landing last week’s CCI2*-L for six-year-olds at Le Lion d’Angers on Killer Queen.

Blom-Hulsman recorded an all-the-way victory on the Holstein mare, completing on her dressage score (25.1 penalties), ahead of Britain’s Max Warburton, who, fourth after the first phase, also finished on the score he was awarded by Finland’s Jutta Koivula (C), the USA’s Robyn Fisher (E) and Britain’s Douglas Hibbert (M), with the KWPN gelding Norway van de Haar (28.8).

Despite the addition of 0.8 of a time penalty, Sweden’s Anna Freskgård moved up from 12th to sixth after cross-country with Clawfinger and, following a clear show jumping round on the Swedish Warmblood gelding on Sunday, claimed the bronze medal on 31.6. The winner, who also topped the final leaderboard in a CCIYH2*-S in Belgium in August, and third-placed horse are by I’m Special de Muze, while Norway van de Haar is a son of High Shutterfly.

Two other combinations completed on their dressage scores, viz New Zealand’s Jonelle Price with her home-bred British Sport Horse mare Faerie Good Golly (sixth on 34.1) and the highest-placed French rider in 10th, Fabrice Saintemarie on the Selle Francais stallion Ito de Lortenia (39.6). Both of these horses are by Upsilon, reserve seven-year-old champion here in 2015.

Bred in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany by Morena Petersen, Killer Queen is out of the Calido I mare Princess L, a half-sister to the 1.60m performer Catando Gyngriis (by Cassini I) and dam previously of Lillet 3. That 2016 SIEC Livello mare won a CCI4*-S in Sweden early this year under Germany’s Andreas Dibowski, but was then sold to the USA where, in two CCI3*-S starts, she finished second and third in the hands of Tamie Smith.

Irish-bred

The highest-placed Irish Sport Horse in the 44-runner field was the Jorado mare Boleybawn Oliva who, with 3.2 cross-country time penalties, finished fifth (33.7) under the USA’s Hallie Coon. The bay was bred in Co Wicklow by Ronan Rothwell, who purchased her dam, C-Jumps (by Cicero Z van Paemal) from Mark O’Sullivan on the recommendation of Ger O’Neill. “I saw a video of her jumping and was very impressed with her technique,” said the Boleybawn Horses owner.

Sadly, and all too typically, C-Jumps is dead but, since foaling Boleybawn Oliva did produce two foals by Comilfo Plus Z, who are both in England, as is her 2017 Boleybawn Cooley gelding Boleybawn Carlos. Prior to starting her own show jumping career, C-Jumps bred the Versace van de Ruitershoeve stallion Vasilos (1.40m).

Hallie Coon riding Boleybawn Oliva \ Pam Cunningham/Irish Eventing Times

Boleybawn Oliva was first produced in this country by Leila Barker, who purchased her as a lightly-backed three-year-old. “I wasn’t sure which route to go with her but, while she did a bit of show jumping at four, we concentrated on eventing,” said the Co Wicklow rider. “She finished second in the four-year-old Stepping Stones league, having won one leg, and she also won a leg of the Young EventHorse league, qualifying for Dublin, where she finished fourth.

“At five, I did a couple of unaffiliated events on the mare, but mainly went show jumping. She competed in the studbook classes and ended her career here at the Breeders’ Classic, after which I sold her to Hallie, who was one of a number of people interested in the mare all year. She was a lovely mare to produce, easy to deal with and eager to please. I always knew she was going to be special and was destined to do well and it’s great when they go on to prove you right.”

Time penalties

Competing at Le Lion for the first time, Noel Dunne fared best of the three Irish riders in the class, finishing 19th with Jenny Curley’s ISH gelding Kief Rhapsody of Belline (by Sligo Candy Boy), whose total of 48.9 included 16.8 cross-country time penalties. Cathal Daniels was a further four places back with Mags Kinsella’s home-bred ISH gelding Independent Article (by Tyson), whose total of 54.1 included 12.4 cross-country time penalties and four show jumping penalties.

Best-placed of the trio in seventh after dressage on 29.1, Robbie Kearns’s cross-country round ended early when Richard Ames’s ISH mare Belline Thistle Bethelasttime (by Grafenstolz) slipped up on the flat between fences five and six. There was some consolation over the weekend for Ames, as Centerfold, a Sligo Candy Boy gelding he bred, who competed here as Belline Jack The Lad, finished second in the five-year-old young event horse class at Maryland, under owner Alyssa Phillips.