DARRAGH Kenny crowned his year at the London International Horse Show, when winning the Longines FEI World Cup on Sunday afternoon with Eddy Blue and taking the leading rider of the show title.

“It’s a show that I always love to come to, I’ve watched it since I was a little kid, it’s one of the best shows of the year, and to have won this World Cup is pretty cool,” Kenny said after scooping €45,000 with Carol Sollack’s 12-year-old gelding.

One of five combinations to clear the first round of the big 1.60m track designed by Bernardo Costa Cabral of Portugal and assisted by the exciting young Irish course building talent Colm Quinn, Kenny was second to go in the jump-off, where he was joined by three riders from the home nation of Britain and one German.

Winning intentions

Kenny, who had already made his intentions to win clear in his interview following the first round, set off with gusto.

He skilfully guided his mount around Costa Cobral’s jump-off track, leaving out a stride down the first two lines, taking fence one to two in six strides and fence eight down to the second element of what was the double at fence nine, on five strides without breaking his rhythm. He stopped the clock in 34.76 to set the standard for his remaining rivals to chase.

Britain’s Ben Maher, vying to repeat his win of 12 months ago, took a similar path to Kenny, but opted not to take out a stride down the second line from fence eight to nine. This, and a playful buck from Point Break around a turn, saw him leave the fences standing in a fractionally slower time of 35.15 and take second place.

Robert Whitaker filled the final step on the podium with Vermento on four faults, after knocking the first fence. Britain’s Tim Gredley was slightly slower with Imperial HBF to finish fourth. Germany’s Sophie Hinners was eliminated after two refusals with My Prins van Dorperheide.

Shots of Kenny celebrating with Irish High Performance manager Michael Blake were seen after he was confirmed as the winner.

Speaking afterwards, he said: “I knew going into the ring that I had to be fast, because those boys are brilliant and they’re all on form, so I knew I had to really throw it down, but Eddy Blue was unbelievable and jumped great, so it worked out. It’s hard with Ben coming behind you, you never know if you’ve done enough, he’s one of the best riders in the world, so it was a wait and wish situation.” He added that Eddy Blue is “maybe the best horse I’ve ever had”.

Speaking to The Irish Field on Monday, Kenny said he is spending Christmas in Spain with his parents, before heading back to his American base in Wellington for the winter circuit.

On his 2025 goals, he added: “The plan is definitely to try and go to the European Championships next year and now I might think about the World Cup finals too.”

Contributing to his leading rider of the show title was victory in Friday’s 1.50m jump-off aboard the 12-year-old gelding Chaccossini. The combination saw off Britain’s Donald Whitaker (Ulania 3) when galloping to a fast clear in 33.13 seconds to win €7,000.

Coyle’s Christmas Cracker

Daniel Coyle scored a five-star win in Saturday’s 1.50m Longines Christmas Cracker jump-off, riding Ariel Grange’s 11-year-old gelding Incredible. In the 13-horse jump-off, the pair were the fastest of six clears in 30.52 seconds to win €9,000.

“I haven’t even had him a year yet, so I’m still getting to know him, but he won a FEI World Cup Qualifier almost immediately after I got him, he’s done some Nations Cups this year, but it will be this time next year before I know everything about him and I’m trying to learn as much as I can, whilst doing this at this level, which isn’t easy, but he’s a good horse,” Coyle said of the gelding, who jumped three rounds of the Puissance on Friday night.

Talking about that decision, he said he was “crazy fresh. I needed to get him to relax, because when he does, he has all the talent in the world. That’s why I decided to jump him in a few rounds of the Puissance; he’s got so much scope and talent; I thought a couple of rounds might soften him and make him relax – and it worked.”

A report on the showing classes from London will appear in the January 4th edition of the paper.