YOUNG riders came to the fore in the two-star €26,200 1.45m International Grand Prix, sponsored by the Red Brick Wall Donors, at Mullingar International Horse Show on bank holiday Monday with 18-year-old Rhys Williams taking the win, and 20-year-old Seamus Hughes Kennedy finishing in second and third places.

Williams partnered his parents Adrian and Paula’s Belgian-bred eight-year-old gelding Playboy Jt Z (Presley Boy x Plot Blue) to a superb double clear in the 60-strong class to secure the top-spot and €8,646 in prize money, as well as the Margaret and Edward Fagan Trophy.

Speaking to The Irish Field after the win, Williams said: “Playboy Jt Z jumped incredible today, as he always does. I’d like to thank my whole team who are here supporting me today. My dad and my grandad are both here. Without them all it wouldn’t be possible.

“He (Playboy) has been going really well recently. We won the seven and eight-year-old RDS qualifier in Barnadown last week so he will be going back to defend his title in August; he won that class as a seven-year-old last year. Hopefully he can do it again as an eight-year-old.”

Talking about his jump-off round, Williams added: “Down the first line I did the seven strides, it was forward and he got it easy. We turned tight back to the third fence and I think what won it for me today was the line I rode to the double. I rode very direct on the inside line and I made up a load of time there; after the double as well we were quick back to the TRM green vertical.

“To be honest I think Seamie (Seamus Hughes Kennedy) was faster than me back to the second last. He got an unbelievable shot off the corner and I thought he had it won. I didn’t think we’d catch him. I let it rip down to the last and it came off. He was incredible, I’m delighted.”

After a great run of form which recently saw him win two-star Grands Prix in Balmoral and Sentower Park, Seamus Hughes Kennedy was happy to slot into second and third place with Castlefield Hera and ESI Rocky, both owned by his mother, Clare Hughes.

Brilliant job

Speaking afterwards, he commented: “Big well done to Rhys, he has had a fantastic year himself. I was happy to jump clear with both of them in the first round; Rafael Suarez did a brilliant job on the course.

“I had two green enough horses. I produced them up through the ranks as young horses and thankfully now they have been able to step up to this level. I didn’t jump ESI Ali this week. He is having a week break after his two-star Grand Prix win in Sentower last week.

“Big thanks to Robert Fagan and to all the Fagan family and to the course designers, judges, stewards, everyone; they have run a fantastic show here and picked a good weekend for the weather too!”

Jump-off

The competition attracted a start list of 60. Of these, just five produced a clear in round one over Rafael Suarez’s difficult track to progress to the jump-off, while 14 had a single fence down for four faults.

With two rides in the jump-off, Seamus Hughes Kennedy was first to go aboard the nine-year-old mare Castlefield Hera (Plot Blue x Puissance), bred by Jim O’Neill. The pair were foot-perfect and speedy throughout; a tight line to the second last and a good gallop down to the final fence saw them cross the finish line in 34.92 seconds which looked like it would be hard to beat.

Jamie Landers was second to go with David Hedley’s nine-year-old gelding Jargon DN (Zirocco Blue VDL x Indoctro) and they too produced a decent double clear round in 42.06 which would eventually see them finish in fourth place.

Next in was Abigail Boland riding the German-bred Quentin K, owned by Mary Boland. They ran deep into the penultimate fence on track, the vertical at fence 16, to finish with four faults in 38.78 seconds and slot into fifth place.

After a quick turnaround, Hughes Kennedy was back in with his second mount, the eight-year-old gelding ESI Rocky (Stakkato Gold x For Pleasure) who was bred by Ennisnag Stud. Another excellent round saw him guide the young horse home with a clear round in 35.04 seconds to finish in third place.

It all came down to Rhy Williams who was last to go with Playboy Jt Z and he firmly had his sights on victory. Incredibly tight lines, especially back to the double and final line, saw the pair break the beam in 33.18 seconds to secure the win.

Veteran Grand Prix campaigner Harry Marshall completed the top six as the fastest four faults from round one with his own mare by Ard VDL Douglas, Daylight VHS Z.

Leading rider

Thirteen-year-old Sligo pony rider Cian McMunn was awarded the leading international rider prize after he and his own gelding Captain Marko recorded a series of good results during the show.

They won the opening international class on Friday, the Glenpatrick 1.20m, before adding a victory in the Glenwood 1.25m on Saturday.

On Sunday, the duo finished fourth in the National Science Park 1.25m which left them on a total score of 120 points and the leading rider of the show.

Commandant Geoff Curran and DHF Alliance were runners-up, having won two classes, the 1.35m on Monday and the 1.40m on Friday for a score of 100 points.