MAYO’S Stephen Gibbons collected his first Grand Prix win of 2025 when securing the top spot in last Sunday’s 1.35m TRM/Showjumpers Club Spring Tour in Cavan.

Sponsored by Bucas, and including the seven and eight-year-old Hibernia Sport Horse League, the class offered a prize pot of €3,000.

Partnering his mother Jane’s Belgian-bred gelding Cassius Z (Canabis Z x Up to Date M), Gibbons proved best in the 23-strong jump-off. A further 18 of the 72 starters had just one fence down, while nine had two on the ground.

Following the win, Gibbons told The Irish Field: “It was definitely a good help going second last. I got to watch a few before I went. I saw Ruby Lily Gaines go, she had a good round and had the lead for a long time.

“There wasn’t really too much you could do in the jump-off, everyone pretty much took the same route. I definitely committed from one to two and took one or two strides out there. Then I was quick back to the double and then the second last. It was just really being consistent through the whole jump-off. He is better under pressure I think, you can dare him a bit. He likes to turn and jump.

“The horse is in good form, so we just decided we’d have a cut at it.

"I felt I had kind of left it behind me the previous week in Banner. The horse jumped super, and we’re very happy with him. Banner was his first show back, so he seems ready for the year ahead. He is ready to step up.

“He will do the 1.35m/1.40m young rider Dublin qualifiers, and the two weeks in Mullingar, where he will jump the ranking classes and he might jump some Premiers as well.”

Gibbons added: “My other horse, Ceide Candy Heart (Garryduff Jar of Hearts x Sligo Candy Boy), went very well also, he had an unlucky fence down. It will be a big step up for him this year, going into the seven and eight-year-olds, but I think he is well able for it. He is a real trier and we have built up a good relationship, I’ve had him since he was a three-year-old.”

Some 13 of the 23 combinations which managed to produce a first round clear went on to keep a clean sheet in the timed decider. Gibbons was fastest of these, stopping the clock in a time of 40.63 as the rider to take it on.

Last week’s winner at Banner, Jake Hunter came closest to catching the winner. He had set the target midway through the jump-off, when he guided Sandra Duffy’s gelding Annaghmore Beach Cruise (Beach Ball x Cruising) to a fault-free second round in 40.72 for the runner-up spot.

The eight-year-old mare Lady Blue Du Pont Letot (Chacoon Blue x Qoby De Saint Aubert), owned and ridden by Darragh Ryan, took third place; they posted a time of 41.23. Junior Ruby Lily Gaines rode Jacqueline Gaines’ 11-year-old gelding Castle Lux Clover (Boherdeal Clover x Lux Z), bred by Jennifer Devlin, into fourth in 41.73.

Breda McMunn’s Lisboy Emerald (Emerald Van’t Ruytershof x Lux Z), bred by Michael McDonagh and ridden by Cathal McMunn, slotted into fifth in 43.82. Veteran campaigner Harry Marshall and his own mare Tango E.T. (Cornet Obolensky x Laughton’s Flight) completed the line up in sixth in 44.24.

The next two rounds of the Spring league take place tomorrow at either end of the country, in Kernan’s Equestrian, Co Armagh and Maryville in Co Cork.

Murray win

Saturday afternoon’s 1.35m two-phase in Cavan was won by John Murray riding Liz Murray’s Bukhara Cruise. By Rehy High Society out of Molougha Clover Cruise (Cruising), the gelding is 11 years old and has been partnered by Murray since he was four.

Eleven of the 32 starters posted a double clear round; Murray was quickest of these, breaking the beams in a time of 31.53 as fourth last to go. Junior rider Paddy Reape and his father Jonathan’s Creevagh Special (Camiro De Haar Z x Harlequin Du Carel), bred by the late Ronnie Hollinger, finished second in 36.24. Third went to Ruby Lily Gaines aboard Castle Lux Clover in 36.96.