Ireland’s Richard Howley was on top form last weekend, when winning the first leg of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup 2023/’24 Western European League in Oslo, Norway. Showing their incredible talent and consistency, he and his mount, 12-year-old Consulent de Prelet Z, made it a double when also claiming victory in the second leg in Helsinki, Finland, on Sunday. They again beat off the competition to take the winner’s prize of just over €57,000.

Despite the world-class field, including many of the top ranked riders, clear rounds were hard to come by, with just eight horse and rider combinations making it through to the second round jump-off.

Howley, 31, is from Enniscrone in Co Sligo, but lives in Yorkshire, England, and is currently ranked 114th. He and the brilliant Consulent de Prelet Z put in another amazing performance, which secured them the top spot.

“I always want to win, and competing against the best riders, you have to give all. My horse is very careful, so I can ask him everything, I can move fast and collect him at the last minute.

"Obviously, I never thought I would win both legs, even if it is always the goal to win. I really want to try to go the World Cup Final, so this is my chance and we are very motivated,” said a delighted Howley.

Howley’s two maximum scores bring his running tally to 40, taking him that bit closer to the 2024 Final, which takes place next April in Riyadh in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The course designer in Helsinki was Brazil’s Guilherme Jorge, who tested the combinations with his 13-fence track, which was made more difficult due to the tight confines of the Helsinki arena. Very few clear rounds were registered during the first half of starters, but there were eight clears by the end of the first round.

“Eight clears is my favourite number for any class, so I am very pleased!” Jorge said.

“It is a World Cup qualifier with good prize money and I was comfortable with how the horses were jumping. Of course, during the first half I wanted more clears, but they did come. In an indoor arena both horses and riders have to be focused and to have a plan. If something doesn’t go according to plan, then the rider doesn’t have so much time to adapt,” he explained, adding that he deliberately set a generous time-allowed of 77 seconds as he didn’t want to put any extra pressure on horses and riders.

The first few combinations incurred faults, until reigning series title-holder and double World Champion, Sweden’s Henrik von Eckermann guided Dzara Dorchival home clear in 36.86 and into the lead. Germany’s Daniel Deusser, also a former World Cup champion, also jumped clear with 12-year-old Bingo Ste Hermelle and moved into second place. Then Philipp Schulze Topphoff, a 25-year-old German rising star, managed a clear in 36.77 seconds with Carla NRW to knock von Eckermann off the top spot.

Brazil’s Yuri Mansur and QH Alfins Santo Antonio were the penultimate pair to jump, but they double-faulted. Howley was last man to jump and he jumped a faultless round in a super-quick time of 34.18 seconds – more than two seconds faster than Topphoff’s round.

Of his winning horse, Howley said: “He’s very careful and he’s got the end quality of jump and he’s super scopey. The most important thing is that I keep him trusting me and keep him confident in the build-up to these classes. And then, when you ask the question, he gives you everything. The horse is just a phenomenal character and he’s a real fighter!”

Howley attributes his current success to the confidence his horse has established through consistency: “It’s from riding him well consistently, letting the horse gain belief in himself and belief in me that I’m not going to put him in a bad situation. Apart from that, he’s also growing and developing, with every show he goes to he’s just getting better and better. He competed very well at the Global Tour this summer and now he’s come indoors and two out of two (qualifiers) he has won. I can’t expect more from him but I’m very grateful for what he does for me.”

Round three of the Western European League series will be held in Lyon (FRA) in two weeks’ time.