ON a weekend of back-to-back TRM/Showjumpers Club Spring Tour Grands Prix, Adam Carey and Quinn Z emerged victors of the eighth round of the 1.35m series in Cavan last Sunday.
The Kilkenny rider was the fastest of six double clear rounds in the jump-off to secure his first victory in the league. Speaking to The Irish Field, the 20-year-old said: “I’m delighted with the win. I think I made up the time at the start of the track. We got going well and I managed to keep up the pace throughout.
“She is a careful horse and she tries her best every time she’s out. She’s very easy to ride, she’s straightforward and willing which is great.”
Carey recently left his job at Marion Hughes’ stable to set up his own business. “I’ve just returned in the past three weeks and set up on my own at home here in Ashgrove Farm in Gowran Co Kilkenny. I left Marion’s (Hughes) after spending about 18 months there. I learned a huge amount during my time and am grateful for the opportunity. It was a great experience for me but I felt I had come to the end of the road there and wanted to try to go out on my own,” he explained.
“I have 21 horses in work at the moment and it’s busy, it’s just me and my mother and my brother Robin so we are kept going. I’m lucky to have a few nice horses here, and am looking forward to watching them progress.
“I have a six-year-old by Douglas, owned by Anna Smith and Eoin Gaughan, that I’m excited about. I’m also looking forward to doing more with another six-year-old who I think is very nice – Luicruz – she is by Luidam out of All Cruz by Puissance.
“She had a great five-year-old year, winning the HSI class in Barnadown and River Lodge. She is a little small but very careful and I think a lot of her. I hope to have three horses for the Grand Prix classes this summer; LFS Showjumpers’ 10-year-old Dutch-bred Geron GS, my brother Philip’s nine-year-old Belgian-bred Cornet Obolensky gelding Mikias VD Bisschop and Quinn Z.
“I think all three of them have what it takes and are more than capable, but I won’t rush them. I’ll take my time and when they are ready I’m hoping they will make a strong team.
“My immediate plan is to follow the Spring Tour and hopefully be able to earn some more decent results in Barnadown, Maryville and Cavan over the next few weeks,” Carey concluded.
Luke Campbell and Derryinver Premier Sarah, winners of the 1.30m at Cavan last Sunday \ Laurence Dunne Jumpinaction.net
Strong field
A total of 42 combinations lined out for the class which offered a €2,000 prize fund. Of these, 10 managed to post a first round clear to progress to the timed decider.
Carey proved best of these with his mother Caroline’s nine-year-old German-bred mare Quinn Z, with an impressive second round clear in a time of 37.9 couldn’t be caught. While the first win this season, the pair have form and were winners of a leg in Tipperary in 2020.
Sven Hadley and his own 13-year-old mare Uidam (Luidam x Cavalier Royale) took the runner-up spot in 39.21. Clem McMahon, riding TJM Equestrian and Hilton Farms’ exciting eight-year-old gelding TJM Amour Fou (Diamant De Semilly x Cicero Z Van), finished in third place in 40.20.
Cavan’s own Victoria Clarke slotted into fourth place riding another German-bred gelding, the 11-year-old Chinatown in a time of 41.26. This followed up some good form when the pair finished second in the Grand Prix back in Febraury.
Sligo rider Richard Kerins and Pat Gallagher’s nine-year-old mare Carralavin Cruise (Ringfort Cruise x Coille Mor Hill) were fifth in 44.81, while sixth place went to Tadhg Mulligan and another Irish-bred nine-year-old mare, Mohill Rosetta (Omar - Glen Bar), owned by John Mulligan Snr.
Three riders, Patrick Byrne (Ballyorney Storm Boy), Richard Kerins (Small Change) and Hugo McAlpine (Cyrano de Boisquillion), just missed out on the second round when collecting one time fault each.
A further 13 had a single fence down in the first round, while two more had one fence down plus one to add for time to finish on five faults, while three more had a fence down with two time faults to add for six. Four combinations notched up eight faults which left seven with more than eight faults.
The next two rounds of the Spring Tour will take place tomorrow (Sunday) in Maryville and Cavan. The round in Cavan is rescheduled from Kernans due to ongoing Covid-19 restrictions in Northern Ireland.
Luke Campbell and Derryinver Premier Sarah, owned by David Campbell, were victors in the afternoon’s 1.30m competition which saw 33 go to post. By Premier Sport out of Premier Cento, by Cento (Holst), the eight-year-old mare broke the finish beam in a time of 37.36 to take the top-spot.
Second place went to Stephen Gibson and David Gibson’s nine-year-old Irish Draught gelding SGS Welcome Louie (Oh Carol’s Rebel (ID) x Welcome Flagmount (ID)). They recorded a time of 38.69.
Young rider Emma McEntee was third with Miguel Bravo’s eight-year-old gelding MHS New York in 38.94. Richard Kerins took fourth place aboard Danny Mao’s seven-year-old Belgian-bred gelding Ovidius Van De Kooldries in 41.54.
Fifth was Brendan Murphy and Denise Crawford’s Carrickadawson Womanizer (Womanizer x Aldatus Z) in 43.29. Gerard Clarke and Patrick and Clare Sutton’s nine-year-old gelding King Lupin (Lux z x Cruising) were sixth.
Sven Hadley and Rachel Counihan’s Belgian-bred mare Elastique Van de Koekoek proved best in Sunday morning’s 1.20m competition when they stopped the clock at 29.95 in the second round decider.
Gerard Clarke, riding his own Dutch-bred gelding Cyruso H, took the runner-up spot in 32.54, while Aoife Owens and the 10-year-old gelding Apple Jack (Shannondale Sarco St Ghyvan x Atlantic Cruise) were third in 32.67.
Owens also slotted into fourth place aboard her other mount, the seven-year-old gelding Omard Connery (O.B.O.S. Quality 004 x HHS BR Charlton) in 34.87.