IRISH successes at Spruce Meadows, Canada, continue to mount, with the latest being added at the end of last week, during the ‘Pan American’ CSI5*/2*, presented by Rolex.

Galway’s David O’Brien made a winning start at the show last Thursday, when he won the feature five-star 1.50m speed class riding Estoril Delle Roane, a 10-year-old gelding by Cristallo. 36-year-old O’Brien was by far the fastest of the 22 starters, jumping clear in an incredible time of 59.32 seconds. He was almost four seconds faster than his nearest rival, Mexico’s Antonio Maurer on Aircraft One, who finished in 63.12.

O’Brien’s family was there to cheer him on, as he had asked his parents, Tomas and Frances, to fly over to see him compete.

“I was told when coming here that I was coming up against a different beast,” O’Brien said after his clear round on the vast All Canada Ring course. “It’s hard to describe. There’s nothing like this.

“I never know if I will get here again, so I told my parents, ‘If you want to come, come’. And to be able to run the class today was great.”

Joint win

Sunday started well for Conor Swail, when he was joint first from 57 starters in the opening 1.50m West Canadian Cup class with 13-year-old gelding Gamble, the pair stopping the clock in exactly the same time as Mexico’s Manuel Gonzalez Dufrane on Martialis in the jump-off (36.81 seconds). Last in of the 11 jump-off contenders, Paul O’Shea was next fastest in 39.11 to take third place on board Little Magic D’Asschaut, ensuring there were two Irish men on the podium.

Swail then finished sixth in the 1.60m Pan American Cup Grand Prix class riding Count Me In, when they had an unlucky four faults in the jump-off. The class was won by Britain’s Matthew Sampson riding Daniel, who was clear in 40.22, followed by Elena Haas (USA) on Claude, who rode the only other clear jump-off round in 42.53 seconds.

Placings

Competitions kicked off at Spruce Meadows last Thursday, with Swail on My Lady Lavista taking third and Robert Blanchette taking fourth with Abra Kadabra VD Heide Z in the opening 1.45m class in the All Canada Ring.

The 1.45m class in the North American ring saw O’Brien place seventh on Birkegaardens Malibu DWB. O’Brien also placed third in the 1.20m class riding Fairson TS.

On Friday, the 1.30m class saw O’Brien on Fairson TS in sixth and James Brennan on Pioneer Van’T Reebroeck in eighth.

Saturday’s first 1.45m class saw O’Brien on Birkegaardens Malibu DWB finish fifth, while in the second 1.45m class, Andrew Bourns on Tranquility Bay were seventh.

Blanchette and Carnlea Premier Balou finished 10th in Sunday’s 1.45m class, meanwhile in the 1.30m class, Brennan and More Special took fourth place.