CIAN Byrne ended the Mervue Equine Leinster Summer Tour on a spectacularly high note, as he took the 1.10m and 1.20m overall and Young Rider titles with China Man.

Runner-up in the 1.20m league was Deirdre Doyle and Kancruise, while the runner-up in the 1.10m was also Byrne, this time with Ciao Bella. The young Wicklow rider went into the final leading the field on 28 points and also in the runner-up position on 27 points. In the 1.35m league, it was Harry Wood and the seven-year-old BP Lionman that took the overall league, while the leading young rider was Jack Murphy and the leading Pro Am was Kerrie Curtis.

Over €50,000 was on offer throughout this series, along with league prizes, a Young Rider bursary and an opportunity for the tour winners to visit Karlswood Stables. In the 1.35m section, the winning horse/rider combination of the tour took home €2,000, and the runner-up took home €1,000. The leading Young Rider won the coveted Ballywalter Farm Bursary with international rider Bertram Allen. In the 1.20m and 1.10m sections, the winning horse/rider combination netted €1,000, while the runner-up collected €500.

Speaking after the final, Ciara Watt, head of equine sales for Mervue Equine, said: “The Mervue Equine Leinster Summer Tour is now in its ninth year and we couldn’t be happier with the support from both the competitors and the 14 venues that hosted each leg. The combination of all grades of riders competing in each class brings great sportsmanship and interest. Our nutritional products are key for the busy show jumping schedule and we are delighted to sponsor this league to support our customers.”

1.10m final

Last Friday, Mullingar Equestrian Centre played host to the final round of the Mervue Equine Leinster Summer Tour and first up to take up the challenge were competitors in the 1.10m final. In total, 59 combinations went to post and, of those, 23 delivered double clear rounds.

Cian Byrne certainly was a force to be reckoned with in this league and he brought the tour to an exciting close, as he took the win and the runner-up place to cement his title. Riding China Man, he delivered the winning round of double clear in 26.18. Not content with the win, he also took the runner-up spot with Ciao Bella, when he was just over a second behind in a time of 27.86. Owned and bred by Sandra Duffy, China Man is an 11-year-old gelding by Sligo Candy Boy and is out of the Lucky Gift-sired dam, China White.

Delighted with the win, Byrne said: “I was so pleased to be placed and win many of the legs in both the 1.10m, 1.20m and the 1.35m sections of the Mervue league. This league enabled me to progress my horses all through the levels. In our sport, the sponsors are what keep many of our shows going and Mervue have achieved that 10-fold. I am lucky to have some wonderful owners. The two horses that I won the 1.10m and the 1.20m league on are both owned by Duffy Sport Horses, China Man and Ciao Bella, and they have given me some amazing days out.

“It was on board Duffy’s Papin De Kalvarie, along with Niamh Rothwell’s Le President, that I got to gain experience around the 1.35m tracks that led to both horses completing their first National Grands Prix over the past few weeks. Olga Doyle’s mare Lunasa Cruise also stepped up during this tour, placing in many legs and finishing high up on the leaderboard. I am so grateful to be sponsored by Flexon Official, Packhorse and Topspec. We are looking forward to using all the supplements we received as prizes as part of this league, reading up on them they look brilliant and so diverse.

“The two main supports for me are my parents, whom I would not be able to achieve anything without and for that I am very grateful. I look forward to heading back to Oliva again for the winter, it has become our home away from home.”

Derek Shaw and VMS Dallance Cruise also kept the poles in place, but in a slower time at 28.05 for third. Young rider Hallie Crow and CSF Alfie was a second behind, clocking 29.05 for eventual fourth.

Julia Duffy and Castlefield Blue wasted no time as they crossed the line in 29.56 for fifth place. Sixth place belonged to Vicky Sherwood and VVS Lucky Star, when they galloped home clear in a time of 30.75.