LAST weekend’s Cavan November Horse Festival showed no signs of a slowdown as the 2022 season comes to an end.

Indeed reports from the office in Cavan say, much like tickets for Harry Styles or a GAA final, the onsite stables for the show sold out in less than 20 minutes.

According to Stuart Clarke, domestic trade was “on fire” and buyers flew in from Canada and the USA to join regular customers like Vere Phillips, all there with money to spend on horses over the four days.

A welcome addition to the show was the ‘Open Rider prize’ which went to Annabel Shields. Much like a leading rider award it is presented to the rider who accumulates the most points over the six allocated ‘open’ 1.45m, 1.40m and 1.30m classes during the show.

Shields was presented with a Silver Shadow Solarium as her prize which was sponsored by a great friend and long-time supporter of Cavan Equestrian Centre, the late Jimmy Kelly who sadly passed away just two weeks before the show.

Lennon lands Grand Prix

Dermott Lennon took the top prize when landing Sunday night’s 1.45m Cavan County Council Grand Prix with Eamon Bishop‘s L’Esprit Hero Z. The pair saw off some stiff competition in the hotly contested 15-way jump-off to secure victory in the €5,000 class.

By Lexicon out of Ikea Van’t Roosakker (For Pleasure) this is the 11-year-old gelding’s second notable win on the national circuit this year, having taken the top spot in the 1.50m Premier Grand Prix final in Mullingar at the end of July.

Some 51 combinations lined out for the class. Fifteen produced a first-round clear, two added just a single time fault in round one, while a dozen had just one fence down for four faults.

First to go in the timed decider was Elaine O’Neill aboard Keith Ennis’ eight-year-old Belgian-bred gelding Olympic GL FVD. They once again left all the fences intact in a time of 39.24 which would be good enough for eventual third place.

Second in was Cian O’Connor riding Jackie Lee’s Hollypark Galloway (Castlelawn Galloway x Diamond Lad); they had two fences down for eight faults in 33.49. Germany’s Manuel Feldman was next in riding Deborah Francis’ Ivan (Namelus R x Damiro). They had just one fence down in a fast time of 35.61.

Feldman, as well as Hollypark Galloway’s former rider Tim MacDonagh, have both recently joined the Karlswood team as full-time riders. O’Connor said they form an important part of his five-year-plan for the venue. “If we can source the best young horses and have talented riders producing them it gives us the best opportunity for the future.

“It’s vital that we have a good team here in Karlswood as we continue to grow the operation and the two lads are a fantastic addition to that,” O’Connor commented.

Kevin Gallagher and Greg Broderick’s seven-year-old Baloys PS (Baloubet De Rouet x Centadel) posted a nice round, having a single fence down for four faults in 36.99. Junior rider Emily Moloney and the experienced gelding Temple Alice then added their names to the four-fault column as the next to go.

Jamie Landers and David Hedley’s eight-year-old Skelwith Diamond Lady (Kalaska De Semilly x Balou Du Rouet) lodged the second double clear of the day in a cautious 39.37 which would leave them in fourth place. Inlaws Orinoco (Harlequin Du Carel x Oklund) was guided to a four-fault finish by Aidan Killeen as the next to go.

Lisa Rosbotham’s Belgian-bred Lotus Van’t Nachtgalehof answered all the questions for Nicole Kershaw; they broke the finish beams clear in 36.25 which would eventually be good enough to claim the runner-up spot.

In-form rider from the Ballypatrick stable, Niamh McEvoy and Max O’Reilly Hyland’s eight-year-old mare Aconzina PS (Action Breaker x Conthargos) had a fence down but in the fastest time of the day of 34.46 to slot them into fifth place, before Cian O’Connor had a fence down on his second mount, Susan Magnier’s Taj Mahal.

Lennon was 11th to go aboard L’Esprit Hero Z. They began well, but it was the well-executed left-hand inside turn after the double to the penultimate fence, followed by a forward seven strides to the final oxer which clinched the win for the pair as they broke the beams in 35.92.

Next to go, Kevin Gallagher piloted the eight-year-old DHF Lift Off, in what was his first step up to Grand Prix level, to finish with eight faults. Current Autumn league leader Edward Doyle Jnr and Quick Bill joined the four-faulters in 38.63, as did the final two combinations in Timmy Brennan and GCS Ita (OBOS Quality x MHS Attraction) and Annabel Shields and Creevagh Carisma (Camino de Haar Z x Creevagh Duca di Clover).