JACK Ryan started as he meant to go on at the two-star show at Busto Arsizio in Italy over the weekend, when he won the opening 1.35m class on Friday, while Gary Michael Fitzgerald on Cadbury placed 10th in Saturday’s 1.10m speed class.
On Sunday, Susan Fitzpatrick rode PS Valisco into third place in the 1.35m speed class, while also placing ninth with Roger of Mariposa.
The day’s 1.40m two-phase special saw Ryan finish seventh with Soblensky VH Scheefkasteel Z from a start list of 63.
Fitzpatrick was on the podium again in the 1.45m jump-off class riding Guedelon Batilly, jumping clear in 39.37 to finish third of the 52 starters. The rider went on to place fifth in the 1.30m Grand Prix with the Irish Sport Horse gelding Madgeslane Louis.
Krakow
Matt Garrigan was the sole Irish competitor at the four-star show at Krakow in Poland over the weekend. He rode Grace V into sixth place in the 1.50m Big Tour jump-off class on Friday.
From 43 starters, seven combinations left all the fences intact in round one to make it into the jump-off, where only two could repeat that feat to complete double clear rounds. Both the double clears were secured by German riders, namely Harm Lahde on Oak Grove’s Commander Bond in first place with a fast time of 36.76 and Daniel Bottcher on Obora’s Little Richard in second (44.82). Garrigan incurred four faults in 40.39 to finish in sixth place.
Oliva
The three-star Mediterranean Equestrian Tour show at Oliva in Spain welcomed a few Irish competitors, with Michael Kearins on Decibel de Talma taking fifth place of the 52 participants in Friday’s 1.35m Bronze 4 class, when they jumped clear in a time of 59.10 seconds.
Ireland’s Charlotte Butler on Esprit de l’Esprit Z won the day’s 1.10m Bronze 1 class, jumping clear in 57.83. This pairing went on to take second place in Saturday’s 1.20m Bronze 2 two-phase special class, when they jumped double clear in a phase two time of 33.39. They were only beaten by British rider Isabella Beecroft-Luckett on Dahar (32.04).
Butler and Esprit de l’Esprit Z also won Sunday’s 1.10m Bronze 1 two-phase class, with a double clear round in 22.72. Their closest rival, Norway’s Bertine Hagen Berentsen on Lord van de Groenendijk, was almost a second behind in 23.65.