IRELAND’s Mikey Nolan finished second in the CCI3*-L at TerraNova, Florida, last weekend on Alyssa Cairo’s Carrabeg Hulla Balou who, on his three previous FEI starts this season (all 3*-S), placed third at Leesburg, fourth at Coatesville and was withdrawn before cross-country at The Plains, where he had been lying a close-up seventh after dressage.

On Sunday, Nolan completed on his flatwork mark (32 penalties) with the Irish Sport Horse gelding, a 2015 son of Balou Du Rouet, who was bred in Co Mayo by Joe Howley out of the Ballinvella mare Vella Flavour. The bay comes from the family of Music Hill Cruise (CSI4*). ‘Louie’ was purchased as an unbroken three-year-old from Co Tyrone’s Paul Douglas.

“I find it to be an advantage to develop the horses from the start, we have a great relationship and know each other very well,” commented 30-year-old Nolan. “Alyssa Cairo has owned and supported ‘Louie’ from the beginning. The plan is to take him as far as he will go; we think he’s the real deal, so I’m hoping he will be the horse that takes me to my first 5*.

“My fiancé, McKena Knott, and I are in Michigan for the summer and Florida for the winter,” continued the Co Wexford native. “We work out of Robin Walker’s facilities, which has been a huge advantage as we start our own business, Nolan Sport Horses. Robin has 41 stables at his farm in Ocala, two Wordley Martin arenas and a top of the line cross-country field.

“McKena and I have a few horses of our own, mainly consisting of off-the-track thoroughbreds and Irish Sport Horses, as well as a variety of horses in for training. My immediate family is coming to America in December for our wedding in Arizona. It’s the first time they’ve all been to the States, it will be a fun trip.”

Mikey Nolan and Carrabeg Hulla Balou were runners up in CCI3*-L at TerraNova, Florida last weekend

Class leader

The 31-runner class was led throughout by the USA’s Alyssa Phillips, who too completed on her first phase score with the nine-year-old Hanoverian gelding Cornelius Bo (28). Her compatriot, Caroline Pamukcu dropped from second to third with the addition of 1.6 cross-country time penalties on board Redfield Dexter (32.5), a 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding.

Phillips, who was travelling reserve for the US team at the Pan American Games in Chile last month, was among the purchasers at the recent Goresbridge Go For Gold Sale. Bidding through Ollie Hutchinson, the Texan bought Kilcannon Stylus, a three-year-old Colandro gelding, who was consigned by Higgins Sporthorses and his breeder, Mary Bolger.

Kilcannon Stylus, who comes from the family of US 1.40m performers Cavalier Angel and Spyder, will soon be heading over to Phillips’ farm in Florida and will be joined on the journey by another ISH gelding HSH Look At Me. This chesnut by Ringwood Cassero won the National Eventing Discovery Final for five-year-olds at the Millstreet International Horse Trials in early June under Kelley Hutchinson.

The CCI4*-L at TerraNova was won by the USA’s Jenny Caras, who jumped a double clear, but was a second over the time in the show jumping phase with the ISH gelding Trendy Fernhill (35.3). The Ars Vivendi 12-year-old, who was having just his second start in a long-format 4* competition, has a CCI4*-S victory to his credit, along with two wins at three-star level and one at two. The bay, who competed twice here under Eventing Ireland rules in 2015 before being exported to the USA, was bred in Co Laois by Eamon Kenny out of Cruseings Girl (by Cruising).

There was a large number of Irish Sport Horses in the 41-runner CCI2*-L won by the USA’s Meg Pellegrini on the Dutch-bred Gorgeous DHI (30.1). The best of these were Quality Explosion (second), a 2014 gelding by OBOS Quality 004; Rosconnell Alto (third), a 2015 gelding by Tabasco van Erpekom who, ridden by Ian Cassells, finished fifth in the CCI3*-L at Le Lion d’Angers last year; Fernhill Maverick (fourth), a seven-year-old gelding by Can Ya Makan; and Shirsheen Fun For All (sixth), a 2015 gelding by Tolan R.

The Phillips-ridden Carrigshawn HFS, a seven-year-old ISH mare by Quantino, was best of the many Irish-bred horses in the CCI1*-L where she finished third.