SLIGO’s Darragh Kerins won the three-star $137,000 Noltrex Vet Grand Prix at the ESP Pre-Charity show at Wellington International in Florida, USA, last Sunday aboard Eve Jobs’ Lissino.

From 33 starters over the Andy Christiansen-designed 1.60, track, only USA’s Peter Lutz and Kerins, who was last to jump in the first round, managed to keep a clean sheet.

Lutz and Hollerno, owned by Lutz/Manfredi Show Jumping and LMW Sporthorses, was the first to take on the jump-off course of eight fences. The pair once again served as the pathfinders and they set the standard with a good clear in 47.91 seconds. Kerins had the advantage of watching what lines took and, in the end, managed to take almost a second off their time when breaking the beams in 47.02 secs.

USA’s Sayre Happy rounded out the podium on Devon Macneil’s Vinci De Beaufour with just two time faults in the first round.

Kerins earned $45,000 in victory. “I’ve been riding Lissino on and off for the last two years. He actually had a small injury around this time last year and pretty much missed the whole year. We started bringing him back to jumping at the end of August. He has come back feeling better than ever; he feels unbelievable,” Kerins said of the 11-year-old Holsteiner who was purchased in 2019 by Jobs, a Pan American Games medal-winner who did not ride internationally in 2022.

“He jumped great in the qualifier the other day with a fast jump-off, and I was really excited to do the Grand Prix with him. I didn’t know what to expect after watching everyone else go in the first round, but he gave me everything. He’s an unbelievable horse.”

On the track, Kerins remarked: “When I walked the course, it definitely walked hard but I didn’t think it was going to turn out that difficult. The time allowed was a big issue and in the combination line you could either do a seven or an eight, so there were options everywhere.

“I think the footing here is great and the new stabling looks fantastic. I’m really excited about this upcoming winter season,” Kerins added. “Hopefully, I can rack up enough points to get into some of the five-star classes with him. I really feel like this is going to be his season.”

Over the course of the spring and summer, the Wellington International property has undergone some significant renovations, specifically to the barns. There has been a renovation of barns one-four to include new BarnWalkers Stalls, Equitan Flooring, remodeled bathrooms, and electricity, among other upgrades. Tents one and two have been replaced with permanent stables.

The big Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF), which attracts a huge number of Irish riders to the small Florida town every year, kicks off 13 weeks of competition with a premier week on January 4th 2023.