MARTIN FLESK and his mare Killuppaun Magic won the AA Grand Prix in Cavan on Sunday. At 15 years of age, this mare is showing no sign of slowing down. By Hermes De Reve out of the Cavalier Royale mare Cavalier Arch, she was bred by Peter Rice in Co Monaghan and was produced by Damien Griffin.

She competed at the World Championships for young horses in Lanaken, Belgium, in 2013, and in the six-year-olds in the RDS in 2014, so she is no stranger to the big stage.

Having qualified for the amateurs at this year’s show at the end of June, the duo will be strong contenders having taken third place at the championship in 2017.

“I bought her in 2016 from Damien Griffin when she was eight-years-old. She’s been a great mare for me; she’s won nearly every league in the country.

“She is fantastic. Everyone that ever sat on her loves her. She has everything you’d want in an amateur horse. She has a great brain, she’s quick, she’s kind hearted, she’s a dream. Easy to do anything with, she’d nearly talk back to you.

“She found her job and she’s absolutely brilliant at it. I remember one day at a show in Cavan I’d gone into the ring and had forgotten to tighten my girth, well I took a corner and the whole thing went; saddle, me, the whole lot onto the ground; and she just stopped and stood there perfectly still until I got up. You couldn’t find better than her.”

Fastest

Some 13 of the 22 starters produced a first round clear to progress to the decider. Flesk was fastest in 37.03 seconds for the win.

Niamh McFall and Bay of Biscay (VDL Arkansas x Last News) were runners up, just slightly slower in 37.82.

Third went to Elisa Schweiger O’Connor with Raymond O’Connor’s home-bred Oilean Honey (Lougherne Cashell x Easy Lift).

Lisa Hitchmough rode her own German-bred mare Manija into fourth place while Sarah Connolly and the Gerard Allen-bred MP Cosmina (O.B.O.S Quality 004 x Sovereign Water) were fifth.

Sixth went to Nicole Lynch riding My Velvet Lady (Blue Velvet N x Rose Of Moray), bred by George Orr, she is owned by Amanda Lynch.