COOKSTOWN, Co Tyrone native Emily Turkington landed the biggest victory of her career last Sunday when winning the four-star Grand Prix in Twente, The Netherlands.

Turkington guided Donald Loughran’s nine-year-old gelding Cornet (Cornet’s Prinz x Clarimo ASK) to the fastest of seven clear rounds in the 13-horse jump-off. Going early in the class, the pair broke the beam in 41.42 seconds, winning their first four-star Grand Prix and €49,200 in prize money.

She saw off stiff competition from Brazil’s Victor Mariano Luminatti and Idetter in second place (41.28). Ireland’s Jenny Rankin finished sixth with the 10-year-old gelding Imar (0/0 43.80).

Speaking afterwards, Turkington, who is based at Bertram Allen’s Ballywalter Stables in Germany, said: “The horse was super, I have Bertram here helping me and he told me exactly what to do. I did one stride extra to the second fence and after that I got going and the horse answered all the questions.

Happy

“I didn’t think it would be good enough; Bertram said top three would be really good, hopefully top five, so I am getting trained by one of the best! I am very lucky and happy with the way the horse finished up.”

Speaking about the grey gelding, Turkington added: “Harry Allen found the horse in Denmark as a six-year-old and my owners bought him without trial on Harry’s word and it’s been an incredible journey to now. It’s a good team, we all work really well together, the boys both really help me.

“It’s my first four-star [Grand Prix win] so I am just speechless with the way the horse was. Hopefully I go to Ommen in a few weeks and then we will see where it goes from there.”

Bertram Allen also won a four-star class at the venue on Sunday. He rode the nine-year-old mare Carrera Denfer to the fastest round in the Table C 1.45m Speed and Handiness competition, breaking the beam in 64.22 seconds, beating Belgium’s Bart Clarys into second place.