IRISH riders put on a great show in Sunday’s 1.45m Grand Prix at the two-star show at Oliva in Spain, when Galway’s Jessica Burke finished on the podium in third on her reliable 15-year-old Irish Sport Horse partner Express Trend (Future Trend x Condios Express (ISH) by Condios), owned and bred by Liam Nicholas.

Out of 61 participants, 15 jumped clear to proceed to the jump-off, where nine combinations managed to secure double clear rounds. Burke was among them, in a jump-off time of 38.60 seconds – just over a second off the winning time set by Spain’s Mariano Martinez Bastida on Belano Vd Wijnhoeve Z (37.45). Matthew Sampson (GBR) on Pretty Pi’Que de’Luxe slotted into second in 38.12.

Robert Russell on the eight-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Carnlea Lui BE (Luidam out of B Zermie R4 by V.Alba 69), owned and bred by Jane Russell, placed sixth (43.33), Francis Connors on Fornett d’Emeraude was eighth (44.05) and David Simpson on Billy Fern was ninth (45.02).

On the scoreboard

The Spring Mediterranean Equestrian Tour IV ran at Oliva last week, with a number of Irish competitors getting on the scoreboard.

In Wednesday’s MET young horse champion trophy for five-year-olds, Caitilin Taggart rode Palm Springs to take joint fourth place from 38 starters, while in the seven-year-old equivalent, Simpson on Billy Whiskey placed third and Lucy Gibson on Lady Catoki placed seventh.

In Thursday’s Seven-year-old 1.35m two-phase special, Simpson on Billy Fountain placed seventh, followed by Francis Connors on Newmarket Darsouilles in ninth. The day’s Silver 2 1.35m class saw the runner-up position claimed by Ben Walsh on Imcarthina, when jumping clear in 59.36.

Simpson scored another top five position on Friday, this time with Foudre F when they placed fifth in the 57-strong Gold 2 1.35m class, while in the Bronze 3 1.30m class, Lauren Devine on Heasy Bondie placed 10th.

1.40m win

Walsh and Imcarthina improved on their previous runner-up spot when winning the Silver 2 1.40m class on Friday from a start list of 44. Walsh and the nine-year-old mare jumped a clear round in 63.79 to take the win, ahead of Britain’s Joseph Clayton on Expenditure in second (64.11). Connors on Mister-GO placed seventh in the class. Meanwhile, Anna Carway on Ajaccio placed ninth in the day’s Bronze 4 1.35m class and Shaun Farren on Nevada TE finished eighth in the Bronze 2 1.20m class.

Jessica Burke was best of the Irish in Saturday’s Silver Tour 1.40m Grand Prix, when she rode Seapatrick Toulon into second place with a double clear round in a jump-off time of 41.71. Only four of the 36 starters jumped clear within the time allowed in the first round, so it was a competitive jump-off for the podium places. Three combinations jumped a second clear round, with the win going to Armando Trapote (ESP) on Gin Tonic van het Gerendal Z in a fast time of 39.81, just ahead of Burke, while Belgian rider Mike van Belle on Calcourt Dasino slotted into third (42.02). Walsh and Imcarthina continued their run of placings finishing 10th in the class, after an unfortunate four faults in round one precluded them from jumping again.

Burke was back on the scoreboard in the day’s Final Gold 3 1.45m jump-off class, this time riding Good Star du Bary into fifth place. Carway placed ninth in the Bronze 3 two-phase special 1.30m class riding Baskin Sunny Diamond, while in the Bronze 2 1.20m class, Farren on Nevada TE placed fifth, Jenny Connors on Fortnight came sixth and Sunnibhe Stassin on RNH Factor One was seventh.

Sunday’s Gold 2 1.40m two-phase class saw Francis Connors on the podium in third with Carrigshawn Vendi Royal, when jumping double clear in a phase two time of 30.79. Meanwhile, in the Bronze 2 1.20m two-phase class, Jenny Connors placed seventh on Fortnight, followed in eighth by Nicola Fitzgibbon on Vigo’s Vanity Ter Sarren Z.

Carway took seventh place in the day’s Bronze 3 1.30m class riding Baskin Sunny Diamond, while in the Gold 1 1.30m class, Frank Curran placed ninth on Kadee Van Overis Z, followed by Tom Keville on Chimay in 10th.