IRISH Sport Horses showed their class in the two-star 1.45m ranking class at Azelhof Horse Events in Lier, Belgium, last Friday, where Catwalk Harry, a 15-year-old gelding by Verdi (KWPN) out of Bens Star (ISH) by OBOS Quality (OLD), bred by Anne Marie Blessington from Co Longford, was ridden to victory by Belgian rider, Vincent Lambrecht.

There were 81 starters in the class, 16 of whom jumped clear in the first round to make it into the jump-off. Nine combinations managed to jump clear again second time out, with Lambrecht and Catwalk Harry the fastest, stopping the clock in 32.82 seconds. Runner-up, Britain’s George Whitaker on Peanut finished clear less than a second behind in 33.63, while third place went to another Irish Sport Horse, Dunaghmore, an 11-year-old bay gelding by Ustinov (KWPN) out of Icing (ISH) by Cruising (ISH)[TIH], bred by Tom and Linda Magee and ridden by Pim Mulder (NED).

Jumping in Azelhof began on Thursday, March 28th, and saw Ireland’s Paraic Kenny on Bardena finish eighth out of 57 starters in the CSI2* 1.35m Two-phase Special class. The CSIYH Seven- and Eight-year-old 1.30m/1.35m Two-phase Special saw Nicola Fitzgibbon ride seven-year-old Irish Sport Horse Gracefield Apollo into sixth place out of a huge 93 starters.

In Friday’s CSI2* 1.40m Two-phase class, Eoin Brennan rode 15-year-old stallion Eskola M into fifth place from the 55 participants, while in the CSI1* 1.10m Two-phase Special class, Olwyn Alexander on 14-year-old bay mare Faline placed third, followed by Lorraine MacGuinness on 15-year-old bay mare Horseware Kinmar Night in sixth of the 33 starters.

Fitzgibbon and Gracefield Apollo were seventh out of 89 in Saturday’s CSIYH Seven- and Eight-year-old 1.30m/1.35m Final, but the rider went on to win the CSI1* 1.20m class with Vigo’s Vanity Ter Sarren Z from 48 starting combinations.

Belgium's Vincent Lambrecht rode Irish Sport Horse Catwalk Harry to win Friday's two-star 1.45m ranking class at Azelhof, Lier \ Pegasus Photo Creations

Brennan and the five-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare GCS Angelina placed eighth in the CSIYH Five- and Six-year-old 1.05m/1.15m Final, while MacGuinness and Horseware Kinmar Night were runners-up in the day’s CSI1* 1.10m class from a start list of 26.

In Sunday’s CSI2* 1.45m Grand Prix, Catwalk Harry (ISH) with Lambrecht in the saddle, placed fourth, when they were among just seven double clears out of 68 starters.

The CSI2* 1.40m Two-phase Special saw Brennan ride 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare Limestone Briarhill Lui into third place, while the rider went one better in the CSI2* 1.35m Two-phase Special, where he was runner-up with the nine-year-old mare Diadema Della Caccia, less than a second behind Belgian winner Bart Clarys on Oxygene du Marais DD. Kenny and Bardena were sixth in the 37-strong class.

The show concluded with the CSI1* 1.20m Two-phase Special class, where Fitzgibbon and Vigo’s Vanity Ter Sarren Z finished fourth, followed by Kenny on Imagine Dragon in 10th.