KILDARE’s Mikey Pender showed once again what a star he is in the world of show jumping when beating the world’s best riders to win the €900,000 Longines Global Champions Tour (LGCT) Grand Prix of Riyadh last Saturday night.

Riding HHS Calais, it was the second five-star Grand Prix win of the pair’s career, having won the LGCT in Valkenswaard in August. By Cavalier Royale out of MHS OBOS Cruise (OBOS Quality), HHS Calais was bred by the late Ita Brennan in Kilkenny and is owned by Marion Hughes and Miguel Bravo.

The championship was on the line in Riyadh, the capital city of Saudi Arabia, a new venue on the calendar for the 2022 tour, with Ben Maher, Pieter Devos and Christian Ahlmann all battling it out for the top spot. In the end, all three faulted in the first round but Maher’s four faults saw him finish best of the trio in 10th and make history when winning his third LGCT championship.

Only four of the starting 35 made it through to the jump-off. Pender’s classy round with the 11-year-old gelding in 35.78 seconds saw him earn a whopping €300,000 and the 23-year-old also made history for becoming the youngest rider to win two legs of the tour in one season.

Third to go in the jump-off, he pushed The Netherlands’ Harrie Smolders into second place with Monaco N.O.P (36.68), who took the golden ticket to the GCT Playoffs in Prague as Pender had already qualified. Fellow Dutchman Jur Vrieling finished third with Long John Silver 3 (38.83) while there was heartbreak for Sweden’s Malin Baryard-Johnsson who had the fastest time (35.17) with H&M Indiana but the penultimate fence fell and she had to settle for fourth.

Wexford’s Bertram Allen picked up €40,000 when finishing sixth with Aiden McGrory’s Irish Sport Horse gelding Pacino Amiro (Pacino x NC Amiro). The pair had one fence down in the difficult first round.

“I can’t quite believe it, it’s incredible to win one of the biggest Grands Prix of the year and to do it in front of this crowd in Riyadh is brilliant,” Pender said afterwards. “It’s definitely made me emotional, the horse gave everything today what an amazing experience. I can’t thank everyone enough who made it possible, the whole team at home, behind the scenes and the people here putting on these life-changing shows for us.

“Calais fought so hard. Going into the double, I didn’t know what was going to happen but as always he tried very hard and gave everything again today.”

Pender is now among the 15 riders who will go to Prague next month to take his chance in the €1.25 million Longines Global Champions Tour Super Grand Prix.

Pender is joined by just one other Irish rider in Denis Lynch while Shane Sweetnam, who earned his ticket when third in New York, has forfeited his place as he is prioritising a family wedding on the same weekend.

Maher champion

In what will be written as a page in the history books, and one for the ages, the invincible Ben Maher has been crowned the 2022 LGCT Champion of Champions. Making history taking the title for no more than the third time, he has catapulted himself into stardom.

“It feels a little bit surreal,” said Maher on his three championships. “The whole Global Tour really pushed the sport to the next level over the past years and I’ve taken part in many legs and am thankful to be involved. It has been great sport with all the best horses and riders in the world here and Christian and Pieter really pushed it to the end.

“It has been pretty stressful here this weekend with the pressure of the Championship, but it is an amazing show and my first time in Riyadh.

“I didn’t win a Grand Prix this year which I don’t think has ever been done before but my horses have been incredible all season with many placings, I have just not got the job done, but I couldn’t be prouder right now though.”

Placed

Shane Breen was runner-up in Saturday’s 1.55m Table A aboard Team Z7’s gelding Z7 Ipswich. The pair posted one of 17 clear rounds in 74.43 seconds to collect €20,000. He was just slower than Germany’s Philipp Weishaupt and Coby (74.07).

Bertram Allen also secured a runner-up place in Friday’s 1.55m jump-off. He guided Empoli de Champloue to one of 11 clears against the clock in a time of 33.82 seconds to earn €20,000. Victory went to Germany’s Christian Ahlmann with Solid Gold Z.

Allen and Empoli de Champloue were fourth in Thursday’s 1.45m two-phase class where Mayo’s Michael G. Duffy finishing fifth with Borelli T.