IRISH riders gave a great account of themselves in Wellington over the weekend, including some super performances in Saturday’s four-star $215,000 Grand Prix. From a start list of 30, there were only six combinations who jumped clear in the first round.
The jump-off was equally challenging and saw Shane Sweetnam ride the Patrick Connolly-bred James Kann Cruz (ISH) into second place (43.75), with Tyrone’s Niamh McEvoy on Jargon DN, owned by GBBS International, placing third (44.71). The Irish pair were only beaten by German winner Richard Vogel on Cydello (43.22). These three combinations were the only three double clears in the class. To continue the Irish theme, HHS Seattle (ISH), bred in Kilkenny by Anne Hughes, finished fourth with American rider Spencer Smith in the saddle, while Derry’s Jordan Coyle on Chaccolino followed in ninth.
Niamh McEvoy and Jargon DN came third in the four-star $215,000 Grand Prix at Wellington \ Sportfot
On form
The Winter Equestrian Festival at Wellington International in Florida continued last week with week four of the series being held.
Last Wednesday saw four Irish in the top eight of the four-star $1,000 1.40m class, with Jenny Rankin on Big Beauty Z in fourth, Tom Wachman on Obora’s Laura in fifth and Kevin Gallagher on Ballerina-Hoem and Paul O’Shea on Primo CBI Cornet in joint eighth, with exactly the same time in round two.
The four-star $6,000 1.45m class saw Wexford’s Bertram Allen get on the scoreboard, when he filled the runner-up spot with the nine-year-old gelding Gary de Cerisy. Shane Sweetnam placed 10th in the class with Gilona AO. Allen jumped clear in 33.78 seconds to finish just over a second behind Colombian winner Luis Fernando Larrazabal and Belle De Muze (32.51).
Tom Wachman won the $6,000 1.40m Open class with I’m Here, when they jumped double clear in a jump-off time of 36.289 seconds. There were 65 starters in the class, with an impressive 29 of them jumping double clear rounds. Gallagher was runner-up in the $2,500 1.35m Open class riding Campinas 4.
Thursday started well for Conor O’Regan riding Carmen De Bonnieres, when they won the two-star $6,000 1.45m class, followed by Francis Derwin on Valento in fifth.
Irish riders dominated the four-star $62,500 WEF Challenge Round four, with three in the top five – namely McEvoy on Jargon DN finishing third (44.52), Cian O’Connor on Belvedere in fourth (44.65) and Jordan Coyle on Chaccolino in fifth (46.22). The class was won by Belgium’s Nicola Philippaerts on Derby de Riverland in an unbeatable time of 41.98, while Britain’s Harry Charles was second with Casquo Blue in 44.41 seconds.
Simon McCarthy finished on the podium in the $2,000 1.30m Open class when third with Lissabon.
Friday’s two-star $32,000 1.45m qualifier saw Ireland’s Michael Hutchinson on Labaomi W finish seventh and Philip McGuane on Orphea HQ place 10th, while in the four-star $32,000 1.50m Classic, Allen and Gary de Cerisy finished on the podium in third, with Sweetnam on Coriaan van Klapscheut Z in seventh.
On Saturday, Derwin placed fifth with Quilana Denfer in the two-star $10,000 1.40m class, with O’Regan on Carmen de Bonnieres back in 10th.
Sunday’s two-star $62,500 Grand Prix saw Derwin place fifth on Valento, followed closely by Hutchinson on Labaomi W in sixth, while in the day’s four-star $62,500 1.50m Classic, O’Connor rode Belvedere into third place, followed by Tom Wachman on Obora’s Laura in seventh.
After a brilliant week of results, McEvoy also won the Martha Jolicoeur, Douglas Elliman Leading Lady Rider Award for WEF 4.