SATURDAY’S two-star $100,000 1.45m Grand Prix at Aiken, USA saw the on-form Simon McCarthy and Gotcha place fifth of the 38 starters. There were just six combinations who jumped clear and proceeded to the jump-off, where four of them completed double clear rounds.

McCarthy clocked the fastest jump-off time, but an unfortunate four faults meant that he was relegated to fifth place. The podium was dominated by the British, with Amanda Derbyshire taking the win with Cornwall (38.80) and joint third with Zadora (40.51); second place went to Andres Julio Soto Pena (DOM) on Optimus Blue (39.73), while Grace Debney (GBR) on Jesprit HS equalled Derbyshire’s time of 40.51 to place joint third.

The Split Rock Jumping Tour at Aiken also saw some other Irish competitors in the ribbons, with Jonathan Corrigan on Darius de Kerglenn taking fourth place in the two-star $32,000 1.45m Welcome class last Thursday. The pair jumped double clear, with a jump-off time of 37.63 seconds to finish just outside the podium places. It was close at the top, with the winner, Amanda Derbyshire (GBR) on Zadora less than a second ahead in 36.71. Richie Moloney also finished inside the top 10 with Daisycutter in ninth place in 40.99. There was an Irish win in Friday’s $5,000 1.35m two-round class, when Dan Geaney on Vogue TW was best of the 15 starters, jumping clear all the way in 43.14 seconds.

Sunday’s $20,000 1.35m Prix saw Geaney and Corrigan dominate the top six, with Geaney taking the runner-up spot on Vogue TW (36.07) and Corrigan placing fourth with Nadal VD Wateringhoeve (37.08) and sixth with Jarmensina VDM (37.20).

Of the 24 on the original start list, 12 combinations jumped double clear, with Britain’s Derbyshire taking another win, this time on board Otto BH in a jump-off time of 35.17 – almost a second ahead of Geaney’s time.

Verona

Meanwhile, at the five-star show in Verona, Michael Duffy on Baloys PS took sixth place in the 1.45m Two-phase Special class on Friday. From a start list of 49, an impressive 18 combinations jumped double clear within the time allowed, with Duffy stopping the clock in 31.10 seconds. The class was won by Italy’s Emanuele Gaudiano on Jaja in 29.26.