BEIR Bua, whose name means ‘Fetch Victory’ in English, lived up to her name in Cavan last Sunday when Donegal’s Kenneth Graham steered her to win the feature 1.50m international Grand Prix, which boasted a prize fund of €8,000.

The pair were also awarded the Clarke Cup a trophy which has been handed down through the Clarke family after it was won many years ago by Mervyn Snr’s father at the Cavan Agricultural Show.

However, the lion’s share of the €8,000 on offer wasn’t the only money earned by the pair on Sunday evening. This win, combined the Millstreet Grannd Prix victory and podium finish in Mullingar, both with George, meant that the Donegal native secured the €10,000 HSI International Show Jumping Challenge, plus a €1,000 bonus for his groom and girlfriend Megan McGettigan.

Bred by the late Harold McGahern, the nine-year-old mare is by Lancelot out of the Cruising mare Rincoola Bua.

Speaking after the win Graham said: “We are absolutely delighted with the win. This was the main aim for us, to go after the HSI bonus.

“My other horse George had been brilliant all summer and won in Mullingar and Millstreet but he had done a lot and was a bit under the weather heading for Cavan so it fell to her (Beir Bua) and she really rose to the challenge.

“I’ve had her since she was four years old. I met Harold in Lanaken in 2014 and he said he had a mare that he’d like me to ride and we’ve been together since then.

“She has a very good temperament and is easy to ride. She has really strengthened up this year and I feel that she really stepped up when she was asked.

“There was seven through to the jump-off and we went midway. The few in front of me were fast so I knew that there was no room for error.

“She is naturally quite fast and I knew if I kept my head we could be there or there abouts.

“I think that the HSI challenge was a great idea. We’d had a good summer so it created a real incentive for us to stay in Ireland – it’s not often that you get a chance to win that kind of money here so it was great.

“The plan now is to give the horses a break and then in February to travel to Spain, hopefully Beir Bua can do some ranking classes there.

“I always enjoy the Cavan show they do a great job there and this show was no exception.”

Competitive action

Just five combinations managed a double clear round to occupy the top five places in the final line up. Daniel McAlinden finished in sixth place as the fastest four-faulter with Neat Midnight Magic. They recorded a fast time of 42.46 but with one fence down.

Olive Clarke and Luigi Van de Nethe were fifth stopping the clock at 44.63 with the eight-year-old gelding.

Jenny Kuehnle and the nine-year-old Lux Z mare Tullibards Miss Optimistic took fourth place when they produced a jump-off time of 43.29. This place would see Kuehnle named the Leading Lady Grand Prix Rider for which she received a voucher from KEC Style, sponsored by Oonagh Kennedy.

Shane Goggins and the seven-year-old Clinton mare Galwaybay Penelope broke the finish beam in 41.53 which would slot them into third place.

Peter Smyth and John Fee’s nine-year-old Belgian-bred gelding Des Le Debut came closest to catching Graham when they stopped the clock at 41.49 to take the runner-up spot.

Graham’s time of 40.88 was 0.61 ahead of Smyth’s and secured them the win and the €10,000 bonus from Horse Sport Ireland.