CIAN BYRNE and Sandra Duffy’s Papin De Kalvarie won the TRM/Showjumpers Club 1.35m Grand Prix at Wexford Equestrian last Saturday.

By Gemini out of Wilma De Kalvarie (Darco), the Belgium-bred gelding is 10 years old and Cian has been riding him since May 2024.

Speaking after the victory, Cian’s mother Siobhan told The Irish Field: “Cian has been riding for Vinnie (Duffy) and Jean (Gill) for about four years now. I think they just saw something in him and thought that we could maybe get some sort of partnership going. We’ve been lucky enough to have had several horses from them over the years.

“The two most significant up until now were China Man and Ciao Bella, with whom he had many successes and won last year’s 1.10m and 1.20m Mervue leagues.

“Cian is now at the stage that he is moving on from the 1.10m and 1.20m. Unfortunately, we lost Ciao Bella last year after an illness, which was a very sad time for us.

“Vinnie and Jean thought it was time for Cian to progress and gave him the ride of Papin De Kalvarie. At the start, we just took him slowly and began with the 1.10m and 1.20m. Yesterday, would you believe, was the first time he really had a go against the clock with him, and it just came together.”

Siobhan continued: “He is a superb horse with lots of potential. Yesterday, he made up the time in the jump-off with his turns. They were tight and accurate.

"It’s quite funny; because he has always looked up to Fra Connors, so to have Fra right on his tail, made it all the more special for him.

“The plan is to continue with the Spring Tour, and hopefully progress into the 1.40m and Premier Grand Prix classes. He also has a nice horse, Kappa Play, belonging to Aisling Byrne, which we are aiming at the RDS qualifiers. He is very lucky to have a lot of support from many owners and great sponsors like Topspec.”

Supported by K&K Windows, the class offered a €3,000 prize fund and included the Hibernian young horse classes, with the seven and eight-year-old bonus of €400 sponsored by Sophie Richards.

Of the 24 starters, nine managed to produce a double clear, with Byrne recording the fastest jump-off time in 36.40 for the win. Francis Connors and his own Carrigshawn Vendi Royal (Dondoctro Ryal K x Ars Vivendi), bred by John Warner, secured the runner-up spot in 36.48.

Sven Hadley secured third and fourth places aboard two of his own horses, Phenomene Bleu VDM (Diamant De Semilly x Nabab De Reve) in 36.62, and the eight-year-old Make It Easy HSH (Don’t Touch It M x Landos) in 37.02.

Connors and his second mount, Raymond McChesney’s RNH Valentino (Van Gogh x Beach Ball), bred by Normand Hammond, were fifth in 38.76, while Jim Donohoe and Niamh O’Donnabhain’s Culdearg Clover Lad (Gelvin Clover x Touchdown) completed the line up in sixth.

Hadley win

Sven Hadley dominated in the Kenny Fuels-sponsored 1.25m class, which included the Hibernia young riders’ qualifier.

Hadley took the top spot aboard the seven-year-old Maximum Numero Too HSH (Aganix Du Seigneur x Numero Uno), bred by Eamon McArdle, and was runner-up riding the home-bred HSH Harper Du Seigneur (Aganix Du Seigneur x Chippison).

Third place went to Alannah O’Donoghue with Fairy Fort (Soolmoy Clover Man x O.B.O.S Quality 004), bred by Joe Bolger. Fourth was Deirdre Doyle with her own Kancruise (Kannan x Cruising), while fifth went to Paddy O’Donnell and his own Keamore Dimant (Diamant De Semilly x Keamore Hill Cruz). Tadhg Beecher and Loughnatousa Cody (OBOS Quality x Rhettsweden) finished sixth.

THE MBF-sponsored 1.15m and six-year-old Hibernian Young Horse qualifier was won by Redshire Molly (Robin de la Maison x Coille Mor Hill), owned and bred by Ann Lambert, under Kate Walsh.

Second was Mark Neilan riding Paul Carberry’s Guy Gano (Gemini x Cruising), while third went to Edie Codd and HDI Restless (Orestus x Cruise On). Sarah Dowley with Bonmahon Liberation took fourth, and Olivia Shanahan rode Cooleyhill Bonzo C into fifth. Alannah O’Donoghue and Ballyrobin For Pleasure slotted into sixth place.