THE Irish Sport Horse Hot Bobo was ridden to victory in the Cosequin Lexington CCI4*-S at the Kentucky Three Day Event last weekend by Canada’s Karl Slezak, completing on a record low score.

The 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare by VDL Arkansas out of the Supreme Leader made Taneys Leader was bred by Emma Phelan from Dunshaughlin, Co Meath. Owned by Slezak himself, they moved up from seventh after dressage, adding no additional penalties in either jumping phase, to win with a score of 29.3.

Overall, nine of the 35 horses who came forward to the final phase would leave all the rails up and make it home within the time allowed, including the top three finishers.

“It feels amazing; she’s the best! I love riding her so much,” Slezak said after the win. “I was hopeful (about her performance in the show jumping), but we’ve been there before. She’s good on the flat but has never quite been right there, but she’s good on cross-country and shines here in the show jumping, so I was optimistic.”

The pair saw off a challenge from USA’s Tamie Smith, who won the five-star at the venue, with Solaguayre California. The combination also jumped double clear to finish on a score of 30.0, ahead of USA’s Sydney Elliott and QC Diamantaire in third (34.9). The 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse Cooley Be Cool (Heritage Fortunas x Cavalier Royale), bred by Marion Hughes, finished fourth after a fence down and 1.2 time faults, under Elizabeth Halliday-Sharp.

Bought as a foal from the breeder by Joe Gallagher in Tyrone, Hot Bobo was third in the four-year-old young event class at Balmoral in 2017 under Rachel McKibben before being sold later that year at the Monart Elite Sale to Slezak, who has produced her through the ranks. “We are just over the moon with the result and thrilled that we had her here for four years,” Gallagher told The Irish Field.

Though they’ve had to work through some spookiness, Slezak and Hot Bobo have clicked. “She handled (the atmosphere today) amazingly. Even when I was doing the victory gallop so close to the crowds cheering, she was eating it up. I’m pretty excited about it going forward and very confident in her at any championship in that situation.

“She just wants to work all the time. She wants to please and comes out the same every day. With mares you never know, but when mares work for you, they are amazing. She wants to please and works for me really well.”

“Anytime she show jumps after cross-country, she’s sharper and more amped up. It gives me a good feeling going in the ring — that even if I make a mistake, she can handle it. I was excited going in, and she didn’t let me down; it was a good track; it had a nice flow to it. It is always nerve-wracking, but here we are.”

Sweetnam third in Grand Prix

While there were no Irish eventers at Kentucky this year, Ireland was represented in the show jumping ring and there were two in the top four of Saturday night’s three-star $226,000 Kentucky Invitation Grand Prix. Shane Sweetnam finished third on the podium with the Irish Sport Horse James Kann Cruz (Kannan x Crusing), bred by Patrick Connolly, when one of five clears against the clock in 48.03 seconds.

Just behind him in 48.79 was Conor Swail with the 10-year-old gelding Casturano.

Victory went to Israel’s Daniel Bluman aboard Gemma W in 46.34, ahead of USA’s Lacey Gilbertson with Karlin van’t Vennehof (0/0 47.16).