ARMY rider Capt. Michael Kelly continued his recent run of solid form with a win in the €24,500 French Grand Prix at Chantilly on Sunday evening.

The 31-year-old rode the Irish Sport Horse Drumiller Lough to a €6,000 victory after setting a very fast time in the 13-horse jump-off.

The only rider to come close to the Irish pair at the two-star competition was France’s own Adeline Hecart, riding the French-bred mare Question d’Orval and finishing just a fifth of a second off the time of the Irish duo, and settling for the €5,000 runner-up prize.

Capt. Kelly told The Irish Field: “I was delighted to win the Grand Prix at Chantilly with Drumiller Lough. It was a beautiful show, the Grand Prix was the only ranking class at the show for ranking points, it was a good 1.45-1.50m track, contested by four or five of the top French riders. Drumiller Lough has enjoyed a lot of good results. We are absolutely thrilled with him, he was always there or thereabouts in the ribbons, and was a bit unlucky on some occasions, he came second on a regular basis.

“He is the type of horse that tries every single day he goes out, a big thing with him is not to overface him and not to expect him to jump the big classes all the time but to step him up and then back down again,” said the rider.

“The Army Equitation School bought him as a four-year-old from Cian O’Connor and we also bought Mullentine Loughall as a four-year-old from Mickey McCann in Banbridge and both have become very successful international horses with us over the years,” he added.

Kelly claimed a win and several top three places at last month’s Sunshine Tour in Vejer de la Frontera with the 12-year-old Drumiller Lough, bred by Armagh’s Paul Dillon (by Heartbreaker (KWPN) – Pearl Diver (ISH) by Mountain Pearl (ID)). He also had similar results at the same venue with another very promising Irish Sport Horse, Mullentine Loughgall and his performances earned him The Irish Field/Gain Horse Feeds Star of the Month award.

At Chantilly, Capt. Kelly also rode Mullentine Loughgall, co-owned by Captain Eoghain Lavelle and the Minister for Defence, into second place in the €2,000 1.35m two-phase class. The 10-year-old Tlaloc M (SF) gelding out of Crosskeys Cavalier (ISH) by Cavalier Royale (HOLST), was bred by Co Armagh’s George Allen. Capt. Kelly is now competing the two horses in Fontainebleau this weekend before going on to Slovakia and the upcoming four-star show in Magna Racino in Austria.

In third place at Chantilly was the Irish-bred Kalico Bay, ridden by Britain’s Tim Stockdale. The 14-year-old Limmerick gelding (HOLST) out of Missile C (ISH), was bred by Co Armagh’s Terry Shiels and is owned by Colin Garratt.