KILDARE’S Michael Pender is proving to be a force to be reckoned with lately and he had an incredible weekend at the four-star Al Shira’aa Horse Show in the UAE, culminating with a fourth place in Sunday’s 1.55m Longines FEI World Cup Grand Prix.
On board the 14-year-old gelding HHS Calais (ISH), bred by Ita Brennan in Co Kilkenny, Pender incurred four faults in the first round, but there were only five combinations who jumped clear, so the Irish man was among 12 who made it through to the second round. The pair jumped the fastest clear in round two (34.58) to place fourth.
The class was won by Italy’s Guido Grimaldi on Gentleman, with one of only two double clears in a second-round time of 39.67. Abdullah Mohd Al Marri (UAE) rode the Marguerite Ryan-bred BBS McGregor (ISH) into sixth place, while Tipperary’s Trevor Breen placed ninth with Highland President, jumping clear in the first round and incurring four faults in the jump-off.
Earlier in the day, Pender on the nine-year-old gelding, HHS Cyprus (ISH), took the runner-up spot in the four-star 1.45m accumulator, when they scored the maximum 65 points in a time of 49.88 seconds. They were just pipped to the top spot by Great Britain’s Lily Attwood on Karibou Horta, also with 65 points, in 49.44.
Meanwhile, Egyptian rider Abdelrahman Ikram rode Much Loved (ISH), bred by Philip McManus, to finish fourth.
Good start
Week two of the Al Shira’aa International Horse Show at Abu Dhabi, UAE ran from Thursday, January 16th until Sunday, January 19th.
Tipperary’s Shane Breen made a good start by placing sixth in Thursday’s one-star young horse six-year-old 1.20m two-phase special riding Opportunity.
Pender rode the 14-year-old mare, HHS Fortune (ISH) into second place in the four-star 1.50m speed class. There were 45 starters in the class, with 16 of them jumping clear rounds. Pender rode a fast round to finish in 58.35 seconds, but he was just outpaced by German winner, Christian Ahlmann on Otterongo Alpha Z (57.62). Shane Breen and Scarteen placed fifth (61.13).
Pender and Madiva placed eighth in the two-star 1.40m class.
Pender was back on the podium again in Friday’s four-star 1.45m two-phase class, when he placed third with HHS Fortune (ISH).
The class saw a start list of 45, with 20 jumping clear to proceed to the second phase and 11 jumping clear again.
Pender was among the double clears and his phase two time of 26.72 seconds was only beaten by class winner, Lily Attwood (GBR) on Karibou Horta (26.23) and runner-up Constant van Paesschen (BEL) on Diaz du Thot (26.37).
Pender followed this up with another second place, this time in the four-star 1.50m two-phase class riding HHS Cyprus (ISH) (28.22). The pair were only beaten by Omar Abdul Aziz Al Marzooqi (UAE) on Chacco Bay, who were a mere 0.2 seconds ahead (28.02).
Shane Breen and BP Arctic Blue claimed a fifth-place finish in the day’s two-star 1.40m class and this pair went on to take second place in Saturday’s two-star 1.45m Grand Prix. There were 44 on the start list, with only two combinations managing to keep the fences intact in round one. Breen rode the fastest time of the two in the jump-off (40.54), but a pole on the ground meant he had to settle for second place behind Nadia Abdul Aziz Taryam (UAE) on Gabrielle Sol’heure, who jumped clear again in 41.92. Pender placed sixth in the class with Madiva, with four faults in the first round.
Pender and HHS Fortune (ISH) claimed victory in Saturday’s four-star 1.40m costume class, when clear in 71.69 seconds, ahead of runner-up Constant van Paesschen (BEL) on Mixcoac LS la Silla (72.14).