DOWN’s Dermott Lennon and Tipperary’s Shane Breen lead the Irish charge at the Ashford Farm CSI**** with impressive wins at Bolesworth International Show.

Former world champion Dermott Lennon and Judith Sossick’s Loughview Lou Lou (ISH) lead the way, winning the opening Longines Ranking 1.50m AGA speed competition in a blistering time of 61.13 seconds from 55 starters.

Lennon overcame a challenge from Britain’s Nicole Pavitt on Victor Blue with America’s Laura Kraut in third o Nouvelle. Cork’s Billy Twomey was fifth on Tinka’s Serenade.

Earlier, Army rider Capt. Michael Kelly narrowly missed a win with Drumiller Lough (ISH) in the two-phase competition, won by Britain’s Harriet Nuttall on Silver Lift (ISH).

Shane Breen followed quickly with a win in the Gaskells Waste Management 1.45m speed class with his new mount, the nine-year-old gelding Acoustik Solo du Baloubet. It’s the first international win for the horse, owned by Bina Ford and Anna Edwards, who formerly campaigned the horse. Breen beat veteran American show jumper Laura Kraut and St Bride’s Farm’s grey mare Cavalia into second place by a comfortable margin of one and a half seconds, followed by Mexico’s Alberto Michan Halbinger in third on Really LS La Silla.

“He is just naturally quick. He makes a good jump. He is going to be very good,” said a delighted Breen.

NARROW MARGIN

Britain’s Robert Whitaker landed a double of wins at Bolesworth. The 32-year-old Yorkshire rider followed up his victory with Catwalk IV in last Friday’s 1.55m competition by collecting his second successive £7,260 winner’s purse, landing the 1.45m jump-off class, sponsored by Equerry Horse Feeds.

Whitaker’s 14-year-old bay stallion USA Today clocked 38.49 to conquer a tight, twisting jump-off course that generated mishaps for several of the 18 combinations that made it through round one.

Captain Michael Kelly again had to settle for second on Drumiller Lough, just 17 hundredths of a second behind Whitaker, with Kildare’s Edward Doyle and the Irish-bred Mullaghdrin Touch the Stars third, just in front of Jade Burgess and Severly Hille.

Cork’s Billy Twomey also placed Tinka’s Serenade ninth. Seventeen riders made it through to the jump-off in the world ranking class from a 65-strong start list.

Ireland’s David Simpson was joint winner of the Puissance with Gotti Van Paemel.

GRAND PRIX

Meanwhile Trevor Breen came agonisingly close to winning the British four-star Grand Prix at Bolesworth in Cheshire last Sunday, the last fence in the jump-off denying him possible victory.

Only four combinations made it to the third round from a starting field of 50, with Breen the only Irish representative on Martin and Paschal Coffey’s Oldtown KC (ISH).

With two British riders, John Whitaker and Keith Shore, each faulting twice, Breen was second-last to jump, and was clear all the way to his mistake at the final obstacle, which cost him four faults. Though still in the lead, the Irish rider watched as 22 year-old English rider Yazmin Pinchen and the chesnut gelding Van de Vivaldi left all the poles up to claim the €24,500 winner’s prize. Breen’s compensation for the runner-up spot was €15,000.

Waterford’s Anthony Condon, though not making it to the jump-off at Bolesworth, claimed eighth place with the bay stallion Aristio.