IRELAND’s Daniel Kerins and Coen Williams completed a stunning result when taking the top two places on the podium in the Children on Horses Grand Prix at the five-star Nations Cup show in Deeridge, Wellington, Florida, USA.
Kerins is the son of international show jumper Darragh and his wife Sarah, resides in America year round but rides firmly under the Irish flag, while Co Ennis show jumper Coen Williams was in Wellington to ride on the Children on Horses Nations Cup.
The pair were among nine clear in the first round. Kerins rode his own WKD Tokyo to a speedy round of 35.55 seconds against the clock to win by three seconds. Williams was aboard a borrowed horse, Andrew Kocher’s Hill Top van het Gavershof and he broke the beam in 38.66 seconds to take the runner-up spot and close out a successful trip.
Marta Hughes-Brave (sixth), Chloe Hughes Kennedy (ninth) and Katie Nallon (11th) also travelled to Florida for the week. Kerins, Nallon, Hughes-Bravo and Williams made up the Irish ‘Clover Leaf’ team who finished second in Friday’s Children on Horses Nations Cup.
Max Wachman was best of the Irish in Sunday’s 1.40m Junior Grand Prix. Riding Cian O’Connor new mount, the eight-year-old mare M Quality, he picked up four faults in the first round to slot into fifth place ahead of Francis Derwin in sixth with Oakland Stables’ Joli Jumper, also on four faults.
That pair were part of the Irish team who finished fourth in Friday’s Nations Cup alongside Seamus Hughes Kennedy and Ciaran Nallon.