DERMOTT Lennon proved to be a popular winner of the Gain/Alltech National Grand Prix at the National Balmoral Championships last Friday. Riding MJM Pursuit, he was fastest of 13 double clears in a time of 42.80 and as a result he took home the winner’s share of the £10,000 prize fund in the Friends of NBC-sponsored class.

Owned by MJM (IOM) Holdings Limited, the 14-year-old mare is by Aldato out of the Limmerick-sired Mountain Mist and bred by Cyril Ferguson. This combination placed sixth in the round at Castle Irvine and sixth in the round at The Meadows Equestrian.

Speaking after the class, Lennon said: “Credit must be given to the organisers for their hard work. The arena was super, it was all top notch. The course designer did a great job and it turned out to be a very competitive class.”

Regarding the horse, Lennon added: “I know the mare very well and once she is on form, she is hard to beat. It was always going to be hard fought and especially with 23 in the jump-off, thankfully it went our way.”

The popular championships at the Lisburn venue were well supported, with 71 going to post in Friday’s Grand Prix. Some 13 delivered double clears in what was a 23-way jump-off. It was a very tight jump-off class with the top four combinations coming home within the 43-second mark. Just fractions of a second divided the top placings in the line-up.

In the jump-off, the course began with a triple bar. To be in with a chance riders had to take a tight line back to the tall vertical at 11, a sharp line from 14 to the double (vertical to oxer) and a strong gallop was necessary to make up the time.

Another top placing

Jake Hunter put in another good result for the Duffy family as he took the runner-up spot with Chappo Chey, when clear in 43.46. This combination recently took third place in the round at CoilÓg. This 14-year-old gelding was bred by Linde Meyer by Carell.

Third place was filled by Kevin Gallagher and the seven-year-old Thor Ter Wilgen Z when they were a mere fraction of a second behind in a time of 43.47. Owned by GBBS Int Ltd, the seven-year-old Zangersheide-bred gelding is by Taran de la Pomme.

Little also separated the next placing as Tipperary’s Tom Wachman and I’m Here clocked 43.52 for fourth place. This 10-year-old mare is by Carambole out of a Numero Uno mare.

Nicole Kershaw and Fury accounted for fifth when they came home in a time of 44.53. Owned by Keonan Stables, this eight-year-old mare was bred by Linzi Johnson, by Cornet Obolensky out of Avinda Z (Aventyno Z). The pair previously finished second at the round in Kernans.

There was nothing between the next place as Tim MacDonagh and Hollypark Galloway stopped the clock one hundredth of a second slower in 44.54 for sixth place. Bred by John McCann and owned by Jackie Lee, Hollypark Galloway is a 13-year-old gelding by Castlelawn Galloway out of Whitestown Diamond (Diamond Lad). The pair were third in the round at the Flavours of Fingal Show the previous weekend.