FOR the fifth time in-a-row, an Irish-bred horse has taken victory in the five-star Defender Burghley Horse Trials in England. Bred by Noel Hickey in Co Limerick and ridden by Britain’s Oliver Townend, Ballaghmor Class started the final show jumping phase in second position.

Townend was winning his seventh five-star competition, and the richest prize in the sport of eventing, taking home £110,000.

Overnight leader Tim Price (NZL) and Vitali had three fences down while Ballaghmor Class lowered a single rail to take victory on a score of 33.0. It was the second time the pair took victory at Burghley and they become only the third horse and rider combination to achieve such a phenomenal feat.

Speaking about the now 16-year-old Ballaghmor Class, on whom he won team gold at the Tokyo Olympic Games, Oliver Townend could not praise his Irish partner highly enough. "He's Irish bred and I have always been a big investor in Ireland and luckily it's paying me back.” Townend commented.

“He's been incredible from start to finish. I bought him from a long-term friend of mine in Ireland, Cathy Charlton and yeah, he is a legend. There is nothing more I can say about him really. He is with us from four-years-old, he was a sharp as you know what as a young horse. We have all had a go at falling off him but everyone in the yard loves him. My next superstar coming through is an Irish-bred one as well and she is hugely exciting as well for the future.

"I think every event suits Thomas [Ballaghmor Class], the tougher the better. This [Burghley] is the best five-star event in the world in my opinion. It's my favourite five-star - this, Kentucky and Badminton, in that order. They are the three pinnacles of this sport with the Olympics right up there as well.

“He is a proper event horse. If you put him in a long format tomorrow he would still come out on top. He is a fighter. His pedigree obviously helps hugely and his mentality helps hugely but whatever era you put this horse in, he will win."

Britain's David Doel and Gillian Jonas’ Dutch-bred Galileo Nieuwmoed finished second on 33.7, with Harry Meade and Charlotte Opperman’s Cavalier Crystal (ISH) completing an all-British top three on 37.4.

Galileo Nieuwmoed was making his Burghley debut and, even more impressively, they were the only combination in this year’s field to complete on their dressage score.

Irish-bred

Five Irish bred horses finished in the top 10 including two of the top three. Cavalier Crystal (ISH), bred by Thomas Horgan in Waterford and ridden by Harry Meade (GBR) finished third, while Oughterard Cooley (ISH) [TIH], bred in Co Clare by Gerard Lynch and ridden by Wills Oakden (GBR), finished fifth.

Sixth place went to Majas Hope (ISH)[TIH], who was bred in Kilkenny by Jack Murphy and ridden by Pippa Funnell (GBR), just ahead of Arklow Puissance (ISH)[TIH], bred in Wicklow by Michael Byrne and ridden by Wills Oakden (GBR) in eighth.

Carlow's Sam Watson finished best of the Irish riders in 13th with SAP Talisman (ISH), who was bred by Rosemary Ponsonby. Watson rose from 36th place to fifth after dressage but had four fences down on the final day to eventually finish outside the top 10.

Tipperary's Padraig McCarthy finished in 17th place with HHS Noble Call (Fortunus x Cavalier Royale), bred by Anne Hughes, ending the show jumping phase with 17 faults. Just six of the 32 that started the final phase managed to jump clear.

Source: Edited press release from Irish Horse Board

See full results here.

Full report and breeding analysis from the Defender Burghley Horse Trials in next Saturday's The Irish Field.