THE Cavan Winter Horse Festival held over six days last week proved to be a perfect end for the 2024 season.

In addition to superb jumping and entertainment, the event also featured plenty of buying activity, with clients from the USA, Brazil, Belgium and the UK.

It ended on Sunday evening, with Timmy Brennan and Diadema Della Caccia winning the feature class, the €6,000 Cavan County Council-sponsored 1.45m Autumn Grand Prix.

By Diamant De Semilly, out of Cardentina Della Caccia (by Cardento), she is nine years old and has been part of the Brennan team since she was a five-year-old.

Speaking after his win, Brennan told The Irish Field: “We are delighted with the win. She has been a great servant to us. She’s had a really good year. She’s naturally very quick, so she is always good against the clock. I think my turn back to the double was very tight. Then we were very fast down to the second last oxer and on to the final fence also.

“We’ll leave her off for the rest of the year now. She can have a break and hopefully we’ll still have her for next year, which would be great. She is just nine years old, so she is in her prime. She feels fantastic.”

Brennan has a busy few months ahead, saying: “I’m working at the moment, just in the mornings, for Vincent Byrne. I ride a few for him and then he coaches me, so I get tuition every day, which is good. He also helps me out at the shows.

“We have about five horses each at home at the moment and a couple of three-year-olds to be broken, so it’s busy enough.

“Darragh Kenny arranged for me to go out to Florida at the beginning of January to work for Missy Clarke and her husband John Brennan during the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, which is great. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Fifteen of the 55 starters produced a clear first round to progress to the timed jump-off. Brennan left his victory in no doubt, stopping the clock clear in a time of 42.56, more than two seconds faster than his closest rival and runner-up, Harrison Blair and Rockmount Farm’s L’Esprit Hero Z (Lexicon x For Pleasure) in 44.59.

Third place went to Susan Fitzpatrick, riding her own eight-year-old French-bred gelding Guedelon Batilly. They crossed the finish line clear in 45.40.

Clem McMahon and his own seven-year-old mare Carneyhaugh Unison (Cornet Obolensky x Don Juan De La Bouverie), bred by Patrick Breen, took fourth in 51.18.

Fifth was Patrick Hickey and his brother William’s Casago II, winners earlier in the week, as the fastest four-faulters in 44.32, while sixth was Susan Fitzpatrick and her second mount Lovely Stassi PS (London x Stakkotol).