Three Irish riders in Lanaken top 10 as Rock Sensation finishes best

By Frank Mulvihill

Steven Smith's Rock Sensation, a grey stallion by Cruising, finished in 8th place in the five year-old Final of the World Breeding Jumping Championship in Lanaken, Belgium, last weekend. This was to be the best result in any of the finals for the Irish Studbook at the Belgian venue.

Sweden's Johanna Bolander won the five-year-old class for the Oldenberg studbook when his bay mare Liza Minelli, by Fortinbras, kept a clean sheet over two rounds of the final to clinch the title on time. Just a half of one second behind the Swede was American rider Alan Waldman on the Zangersheide mare, Cilthe Z, by Cilton Z, while the KWPN Studbook took third place with VDL Clapton ridden by Victor Texeira of Brazil. This mare is by Caretino out of a Landgraf I mare.

Ireland had five riders in the final for five-year-old horses but only two of their horses were representing the ISH studbook. Cameron Hanley came out best in this one with a 6th place finish on Paul Schockemohle's Pirol, a Wesfalian-bred by Portland L out of a Graphit mare.

Next came Steven Smith in 8th place having had just four faults in the jump-off with Rock Sensation whose dam is by the legendary King of Diamonds. Kilkenny rider Richie Moloney made it three Irish riders in the top-ten when he also returned with four faults in the second round on Claudy Bay Z to slot into 10th position. Claudy Bay Z is by the Zangersheide stallion Cumano out of a mare by Forever.

Having qualified two horses for this final, Galway's Gabriel Slattery found himself out of luck last Sunday. His grey stallion Gamble On Diamond, which is by White Clover out of a Diamond Lad mare, notched up four faults in the first round to place in 19th, while Landtender, the Oldenberg stallion by Landor S out of a Contender mare, which is owned by Show Jumping Association chairman Charles Hanley, had eleven faults in the first round of the final to finish in 33rd.

Holsteiner wins six-year-old championship

The Holstein Studbook came out best in the Final for six year-old horses at Lanaken when Spanish rider Fernandez Saro steered Paul Schockemohle's bay gelding Quin Chin to two clear rounds at the Belgian venue.

The gelding, by Quantum, had just under a second to spare over Germany's Michael Aabo and Ligitta, a bay Danish Warmblood mare by Come Back II. Australian rider James Paterson-Robinson took third place for the French Studbook on the Selle Francais bay gelding, Kaid, which is by Bonhomme II.

Ireland had two riders qualified for this Final, Paul Duffy with Killard Horizon, a grey gelding by Crannagh Hero out of a Clover Hill dam, and Cameron Hanley with Chacco-Blue, a bay stallion by Chambertin out of a Contender mare. There wasn't any joy for either as Hanley returned with four faults in the first round to place 22nd and Duffy had eight faults to finish in 30th overall.

Belgium wins seven-year-old championship

The honours in the final for seven-year-old horses went to Belgian international rider Ludo Philipparts and the bay stallion Up To Date Miltoo which is by his former international stallion Darco. The pair had one of only two double-clear rounds and shaded it over French rider Francois Giffon on another stallion, Jazz Band Courcelle, which is by Le Tot de Semelly out of an AlmÅ mare.

Best of the Irish riders in the Final for seven-year-old horses was German-based Cameron Hanley on Utah Van Erpekom in 14th place on a four fault score from the first round. There were just six clear rounds from a startlist of thirty-five, two for Belgium, three for the Netherlands, and one for France. Waterford's Francis Connors, who won the Boomerang Championship at Millstreet this year with Fran Mangan's Auto Cruz, achieved a second place in one of the qualifiers for seven-year-old horses at the World Breeding Jumping Championships.

The class which had 91 entries was won by Belgium's Gregory Wathelet on Jacqmotte of Hayettes. Connors did make it to the final but had 12 faults to finish out of the prizes in 30th position.

Trevor Coyle on Charly M also had 12 faults to finish in 28th position, while the only other Irish finalist in this section was David Moore who, unfortunately, was eliminated in the first round on Merlin's Magic, a chestnut gelding by Furisto.

Merlin's Magic had qualified best of the Irish in joint 16th place along with the eventual winner Up To Date Milltoo.