IN a close competition, Galway’s Michael Duffy came out on top in Saturday’s two-star 1.45m Grand Prix at St Tropez, France, riding Budweiser.

Duffy and the talented eight-year-old stallion were among 67 combinations to start the class, 13 of whom jumped clear to secure their place in the jump-off. A few poles hit the floor in the second round, with only five pairs jumping clear for a second time.

Duffy and Budweiser (Berlin x Matterhorn) were the fastest to jump clear round the shortened track, finishing in a time of 37 seconds. Germany’s Tony Stormanns on Donjon d’Asschaut were very close runners-up, a mere 0.09 seconds behind, stopping the clock in 37.09!

Another Irishman was among those in the jump-off, Michael G Duffy, who claimed eighth place with Velvet Underground 4 after having an unfortunate fence down second time out.

Irish ribbons

Week two of competitions at St Tropez commenced on Wednesday, March 27th, and saw Ireland’s Graham Grant on Miss Jet Set DB and Harry Allen on Desperados among the joint winners of the CSIYH1* Six-year-old 1.20m class; Allen was also a joint winner in the CSIYH1* Seven-year-old 1.30m class on board Madermie Eurohill. He then followed up with a ninth place in the CSI3* Small Tour 1.35m class riding Kazelli VDL.

In Thursday’s Seven-year-old 1.30m class, Allen on Madermie Eurohill placed eighth, while the Six-year-old 1.20m class saw victory going to Grant on Miss Jet Set DB, with Allen on Desperados not far behind in third place.

Grant was certainly on form and took second and fifth places in the CSI2* Small Tour 1.35m class with Kastafiore DB and Gray D Albion DB respectively.

Friday was a quiet day for the Irish, but Saturday’s CSI3* Six-Bar 1.60m class saw Irish Sport Horse EIC Up Too Jacco Blue, ridden by Austria’s Max Kuhner, place third, behind joint winners, Olivier Perreau on Channah Z and Megane Moissonier on Qoup de Coeur de Muze, both from France.

The week’s competitions concluded on Sunday, where Grant rode Jiarado DB into eighth place in the CSI1* 1.35m Grand Prix.