MEATH’S Cian O’Connor had a fantastic weekend in Abu Dhabi, showing great consistency with his mounts. The highlight of the weekend was Sunday’s feature five-star 1.60m Longines President’s Cup, where 30 contenders took on the challenging course. Only five of them jumped clear within the allocated time to secure their place in the jump-off, with four combinations managing to keep the poles in place second time round.

O’Connor and the 12-year-old grey gelding Iron Man were among the double clears, with a fast jump-off time of 36.07 seconds earning them their third runner-up position of the weekend and the €33,000 second prize, only being bettered by French man Kevin Staut on board New Libero One d’Asschaut, who stopped the clock in 34.79 to take the top prize of €41,250.

The podium was completed by another French man, Roger Yves Bost riding Embassy du Chateau, who finished in 36.91 to take home €24,750. The fourth double clear was ridden by Georgia Tame (GBR) on BE Golden Lynx, but their time of 40.26 wasn’t quite fast enough to get onto the podium. Tipperary’s Shane Breen on Z7 Oilina incurred a single time penalty in the first round, which kept them out of the jump-off and put them in sixth place.

“I feel Iron Man and I are really starting to know one another and understand each other. He’s been double clear in the last three Grands Prix we’ve jumped and was also runner-up in the five-star Grand Prix in Ocala during LLN week. I’d really love to win a major five-star Grand Prix with him this summer and I think we can do it. The plan is to just keep working away and try to be more slick in each jump-off and hopefully that will get us in front at some stage!” said a delighted O’Connor afterwards.

In the ribbons

The UAE President’s Cup Show ran in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, with two-star and five-star classes. Shane Breen got off the mark on Friday with a fourth place out of 36 starters in the two-star 1.40m speed class on board BP Arctic Blue, jumping clear in a time of 58.27.

The five-star classes also commenced on Friday and the 1.50m speed saw three Irish finish in the top eight. Shane Breen was best of them in fifth place on Z7 Oilina (62.26), followed by O’Connor on the nine-year-old Gengis Kann de Londe (63.71) in sixth, with Trevor Breen on Luidam’s Warrior in eighth (65.05) from a start list of 34. The class was won by Germany’s David Will on Zinedream (60.90).

Shane Breen finished on the podium in Saturday’s two-star 1.40m two-phase, placing third on board BP Arctic Blue with a double clear round in 31.15. Sixteen of the 31 starters jumped clear in the first phase, with only six completing double clear rounds. Ahmad Saber Hamcho (SYR) won the class with Frenchy VDS in a speedy 27.73.

O’Connor claimed the runner-up spot in Saturday’s 27-strong five-star 1.50m two-phase class riding Gengis Kann de Londe (Kannan x Diamant de Semilly), jumping double clear in a second phase time of 26.42. There was no catching class winner Richard Vogel (GER) on Phenyo van het Keysersbos, who stopped the clock over a second and a half ahead in 24.75. Trevor Breen on Luidam’s Warrior followed in fifth place (29.12).

Shane Breen and BP Arctic Blue made it onto the podium again with another third place in Sunday’s two-star 1.45m Grand Prix. Of the 29 starters, there were only three combinations who kept all the fences intact. Breen clocked a good time of 35.10, but a pole down put him in third place. The class was won by Georgia Tame (GBR) on BE Alcantara (34.79), with home rider Abdullah Mohd Al Marri (UAE) on Diabla PS in second (35.63).

O’Connor gave a good account of himself and Gengis Kann de Londe in Sunday’s five-star 1.55m winning round, with a double clear in a time of 40.52 to claim the runner-up spot on the podium. From 25 starters, just four jumped clear in the first round, but the best 10 proceeded to the winning round, where only O’Connor and class winner Khaled Almobty (KSA) on Davenport VDL jumped clear again. Almobty’s time of 37.75 seconds could not be beaten, so he took home the top prize of €26,750. O’Connor secured €21,400 for second place. Trevor Breen placed fourth on Luidam’s Warrior (41.48) to win €10,700.