WEXFORD’S Harry Allen got Ireland off to a great start at the Longines Global Champions Tour at Stockholm, Sweden, last Friday morning, when he won the CSIYH1* seven-year-old 1.30m class on board Daredevil Z.
Competition was tough and, from the 30 starters, an impressive 26 jumped clear in the first phase, with 22 of these keeping the fences standing in round two. This meant that timing was crucial and Allen’s horse certainly lived up to his name, speeding round the course in 31.10 seconds.
Sweden’s Evelin Laven on Bratz Dot Com TL was closest, finishing second in a time of 31.41, while Britain’s Ben Maher rode Maddox VH Haringvliet Z into third (31.54).
Jumping double clear
The day’s Under 25 1.45m class had a start list of just 18, with just seven of those jumping double clear. Carlow’s Jason Foley was among them riding the eight-year-old Mister Qerly Z into sixth place in a time of 39.17 seconds. Belgian riders Thibault Philippaerts and Sacha Beghuin took first and second places on Gift Des Lunes and Elcup Van Beek II Z respectively, with Canada’s Lea Rucker on Macarena 42 completing the podium.
Saturday saw Allen and Daredevil Z back on the podium, taking second place in the CSIYH1* seven-year-old 1.35m class. The pair kept the fences standing and stopped the clock in 61.20 seconds. The class was won by Sweden’s Nicole Holmen on Qurious HS in a speedy time of 58.84.
In the CSI5* Global Champions Tour 1.60m team competition, Allen rode Lukaku VD Bisschop for the Riesenbeck International team, who placed second. Allen had a pole down and incurred four faults, but his German teammates, Christian Kukuk (Nice Van’T Zorgvliet) and Philipp Weishaupt (Zineday) were both clear. The Doha Falcons secured the win on this occasion.
Sunday saw Allen and Daredevil Z continue their domination of the CSIYH1* seven-year-old classes, when they won the 1.40m competition. Once again, there were 30 combinations on the start list and this time 10 jumped clear in the first round to make it into the jump-off. Eight of those jumped clear again, but Allen was fastest of those, coming home in a time of 38.67 seconds – a mere 0.10 seconds ahead of British runner-up Ben Maher on Maddox VH Haringvliet Z (38.77). Belgium’s Thibault Philippaerts on Rakker Van St Anneke took third place in 39.43.
Grand Prix
Louth’s Mark McAuley and the Irish Sport Horse mare GRS Lady Amaro, bred by Denis Hickey in Co Wexford, finished sixth in a strong five-star 1.60m Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix. From 35 starters, 10 jumped clear and got through to the jump-off, with only four managing to repeat this feat in the second round. McAuley went first in the jump-off and had an unlucky pole down for four faults, but his time of 45.60 seconds was good enough for sixth place. The class was won by Belgium’s Olivier Philippaerts on H&M Miro (45.76), who took home the winner’s prize of €165,000.
Just as Allen had kicked off the show well for Ireland, the very talented Foley concluded it in fine style, by winning the Under 25 1.50m Grand Prix with Mister Qerly A. Despite wet conditions, the pair jumped the only clear round of the 18 starters over a testing track set by course designer Uliano Vezzani, meaning that no jump-off was required.