AUSTIN O’Connor has become the first Irish event rider in 58 years to win a five-star eventing competition after an outstanding performance at the prestigious Maryland five-star in Fairhill, USA.

Corkman O’Connor and the Kate Jarvey-bred Colorado Blue were crowned champions on Sunday evening, following in the footsteps of Major Eddie Boylan and Durlas Eile who won the five-star Badminton Horse Trials in 1965.

Tokyo Olympic combination O’Connor and Colorado Blue lay in 12th place after the opening dressage phase on Friday with 33.7 and climbed eight places to fourth after a brilliant cross-country performance on Saturday where they added just 1.2 time penalties.

Challenging course

Ian Stark’s cross-country course proved challenging with nine combinations not completing and only one combination – Mia Farley and Phelps – coming home clear inside the optimum time. O’Connor was the second fastest round of the day.

With the riders show jumping in reverse order the pressure was on and clear rounds were few and far between with no rider jumping clear inside the time allowed.

A tense but thankfully clear show jumping round, which was the only clear inside the time of the competition, saw them climb from overnight fourth place to take a massive victory on a final score of 34.9.

Austin O'Connor pictured after becoming the first Irish rider in 58 years to win a five-star event \ Shannon Brinkman Photography

Following her excellent cross-country Farley dropped from third place to fifth with two fences down. William Fox-Pitt had one fence down to finish just behind O’Connor on 35.3 with Grafennacht.

Oliver Townend was the final rider into the arena riding the Irish Sport Horse Cooley Rosalent, an unfortunate two fences down dropped him from first to third place. Another Irish-bred, Greenacres Special Cavalier (ISH), bred by Michael Callery, finished sixth with Caroline Powell (NZL).

Emotional win

Speaking afterwards, an emotional O’Connor revealed that a five-star win was something he thought he might never achieve.

“People like me – we’re not supposed to win five-stars, but it’s just happened, I think,” he said.

“It’s the end result of a lifetime’s work really. Ultimately it’s all about the horse – he is unbelievable, he’s been a champion for years and privately I was prepared to give him to somebody better because I thought he deserved to win a five-star and I didn’t think I could win one with him, but here we are.”

“What an amazing achievement for Austin O’Connor and Salty [Colorado Blue] - it is so well deserved for them both and breeder Kate Jarvey from Mellon Stud in Limerick,” Irish Horse Board Director General Alison Corbally said.

“A five-star win is the pinnacle for any eventing rider and Austin has bridged a 58-year-gap to join an elite group of Irish five-star winning Eventing riders. Congratulations also to JW Rosbotham, breeder of the third place finisher Cooley Rosalent (ISH) and Michael Callery, the breeder of Greenacres Special Cavalier (ISH) who finished sixth.”

Breeding

Colorado Blue (SHBGB) is a 2009 gelding by Jaguar Mail (SF) out of Rock Me Baby (AES), by Rock King (WNTR).

Cooley Rosalent (ISH) is a 2014 mare by Valent (KWPN) out of Bellaney Jewel (TB), by Roselier (TB) bred by JW Rosbotham, Co Down.

Greenacres Special Cavalier (ISH) is a 2013 mare by Cavalier Royale (HOLST) out of Greenacres Touch (ISH) by Touchdown (ISH) bred by Michael Callery, Co Meath.

Caroline Pamukcu competing in the 3* at Maryland with HSH Afterglow \ Shannon Brinkman Photography

Irish Sport Horse success

While Austin O’Connor’s win dominated the news out of Maryland last weekend, Irish horses were also holding their own with US rider Caroline Pamukcu winning both the with Irish Sport Horse HSH Connor and the Young Event Horse Championships for four-year-olds with HSH Afterglow.

HSH Connor, is a seven-year-old by Connor 48 out of Galwaybay Merstona by Mermus R bred by Justin Burke and owned by | Sherrie Martin, Luann McElduff and Pamukcu herself.

HSH Afterglow is a four-year-old gelding by Hype out of Ringwood Venus bred by Peter Leonard and owned by Pamukcu.

Riding HSH Connor, Pamukcu was the only rider to finish on their dressage score, 25.4, and they led from the outset on the best first-phase score.

She was also sixth in the same class with another Irish Sport Horse, HSH Tolan King, adding just four show jumping penalties to a dressage score of 29.

HSH Tolan King is an eight-year-old gelding by Tolan Rout of Kilmolash Clover Rhodes (Porter Rhodes) bred by William O’Brien and owned by Sherrie Martin, Derek Strine and Pamukcu.

Riding HSH Afterglow in the four-year-old championship, Pamukcu was third after dressage on 17 but topping the conformation score with 8.62, the show jumping with 13.8 and the cross country with 28.8, they were soon in pole position.

Irish rider Lee Maher and HSH Untouchable, an Irish Sport Horse by Uriko out of Stella XXI, were eighth in this class.

Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Connor in action at Maryland \ Shannon Brinkman Photography

"It's emotional for me just to remember his first jump school, his first flat school, and then all the way to this moment," Pamukc said.

"We were so close last year to winning the Young Horse World Championships [at Le Lion] that for him to win the USEF National Championship is amazing."

HSH Connor has had a busy season with four wins prior to this victory at the Maryland 5 Star and his hard work has earned him some time off, according to Pamukcu.

"He is getting all of his shoes pulled right now. He's gonna go out in the field with his buddies, he's gonna go out and deal with Kings Especiale [who just finished second at the Morven Park CCI4*-L in Virginia] and out with [HSH] Blake after he gets back from the Pan Ams. He is going to have about two months off in the field to get furry and fat and have a good time with his buddies."