IRELAND scored a fantastic one-two in Saturday’s three-star $120,000 1.50m Grand Prix at the World Equestrian Centre in Ocala, when Cork’s Simon McCarthy on Gotcha, owned by Rock Ridge Farms, claimed the win, their first international Grand Prix success together, closely followed by Derry’s Daniel Coyle on Ariel Grange’s Farrel in second.
From a start list of 36, nine managed to jump clear in round one to proceed to the jump-off. It was a challenging track and only three were able to maintain their clean sheet second time out. Coyle clocked a very fast time of 43.13 seconds with Farrel, but McCarthy and Gotcha flew round in 42.97 to claim the top prize of $39,600. Coyle took home $24,000 for second place, while the podium was completed by Canadian Chris Pratt riding Ideaal ES, who took third place in 43.52 ($18,000).
“She’s a real fighter,” McCarthy said of his 14-year-old mare. “She gets in the ring and wants to do it the best every time, so you can really put the gas down, and she’ll respond well.
“I knew all the numbers I wanted to do (in the jump-off), and she’s a very, very quick horse. If I do the same numbers as the other horses, most likely she’s going to be faster than them, so I didn’t take an ultra-risk - until I did at the last three jumps.”
It “meant a lot”, to win at this level with Gotcha, McCarthy admitted: “I’ve been riding her for four years, and she’s something special. She’s won all over the world, but an international Grand Prix had eluded us. I am delighted that she was the horse to give me my first international Grand Prix win.”
In the ribbons
Week 10 of the Winter schedule at Ocala, Florida saw Ireland’s James Brennan in 10th in Wednesday’s three-star $1,000 1.40m two-phase on board Reemah OL.
McCarthy on Narcotique V/H Dingenshof won the three-star $32,000 1.45m Speed class on Wednesday, jumping clear in 60.50. An impressive 22 of the 34 starters kept all the poles intact, but time was crucial and McCarthy stopped the clock just over three-quarters of a second ahead of runner-up Caitlin Boyle (USA) on Navaar (61.26), while Britain’s Samuel Hutton was third with Leeuwin Van De Moerhoeve. Philip McGuane on My Lady Van De Krekel secured 10th place in the class.
McCarthy finished third in Thursday’s three-star $62,500 1.50m Grand Prix qualifier with Gotcha, when double clear in 38.14. The top two places went to USA’s Caitlin Boyle on Prianti Van Het Mikkenhof (37.51) and Jessica Springsteen on Naomi Van Het Keizershof (37.97).
Brennan won the $1,500 1.45m Jumper class on Indigo VDL in a very fast 70.27 – almost five seconds ahead of runner-up Christine McCrea on Kalvaro (75.16).
McCarthy took two top six placings in Friday’s three-star $32,000 1.45m Winning Round - fourth with Gaiete D’Elle and sixth with Narcotique V/H Dingenshof – on whom he rode the fastest time, but had an unlucky pole on the ground. Meanwhile, Coyle steered VDL Nimrod into ninth in the $1,000 1.35m Jumper class.
On Saturday, Darragh Kerins rode Proud Mary into second place in the $15,000 1.45m Jumper Classic, where they were only beaten by Cooper Dean on Magic Vivantauer PS. Coyle on Daydream took seventh in Sunday’s $40,000 Prix class.