THE five-star Bordeaux World Cup Show in France hosted a limited number of classes over the weekend, but they were certainly competitive!

The highlight from an Irish rider point of view was undoubtedly the 1.60m Grand Prix on Sunday, when Tipperary’s Denis Lynch and the 15-year-old gelding Brooklyn Heights were runners-up, and Galway’s Jessica Burke and the 11-year-old mare Nikey HH, owned by Liam Nicholas, placed third.

From the 28 starters, there were only four clear first rounds – two of those being from Lynch and Burke. They both jumped clear again in the jump-off, Lynch finishing in a time of 40.15 seconds to take second and Burke clocking 43.94 seconds for third. The winner was Frenchman and world number five, Julien Epaillard with Donatello d’Auge, whose jump-off time of 38.70 seconds could not be beaten, much to the delight of the home crowd!

Burke and Nikey HH had finished in a creditable eighth place in Saturday night’s five-star Longines FEI 1.60m World Cup Grand Prix at Bordeaux, where they were among the fastest four-faulters from the first round.

Out of 35 starters, only six jumped clear to make it into the jump-off, where five kept a clean sheet. The fastest of these, stopping the clock in 40.34 seconds, was Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat riding Is-Minka, who were nearly a second and a half quicker than French runner-up, Jeanne Sadran on Dexter de Kerglenn.

Jessica Burke and Nikey HH were third in the CSI5*W Audi Grand Prix in Bordeaux on Sunday \ ArtisteAssocie

Meanwhile, Saturday afternoon’s 1.45m Speed class saw another five-star success for the Irish Sport Horse mare, MGH Candy Girl, bred by Co Cork’s Timothy Kelleher and ridden by Great Britain’s Matt Sampson. It was tight at the top, as Sampson’s time of 59.60 was just 0.10 seconds ahead of second placed fellow British rider, Scott Brash on Hello Mr President, who finished in 59.70 seconds; they in turn were less than half a second ahead of Israel’s Robin Muhr on Stawita PS with a time of 59.74 seconds!

MGH Candy Girl’s win comes only a week after scoring a double of wins in the five-star World Cup show in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The 11-year-old is by Sligo Candy Boy (ISH) out of Kilnamac Holly (ISH)[TIH] by Cruising (ISH)[TIH].

Burke rode another Irish Sport Horse, Express Trend, owned and bred by Liam Nicholas, into fifth place in a time of 61.78 seconds. The 14-year-old gelding is by Future Trend (OLD) out of Condios Express (ISH) by Condios (HOLST).

On Friday afternoon, Burke rode Express Trend (ISH) to place eighth in the five-star 1.40m Speed class; she followed up that evening with a 12th place on Nikey HH in the 1.50m Speed class.

Sunday saw Lynch place 11th with Mr Boombastic in the 1.50m Accumulator with Joker class, where Sampson and MGH Candy Girl placed 12th.