Show jumping returned to Los Angeles for the first time since the 1984 Olympics with all the glitz and glamour associated with its Californian location. Lining out at the inaugural LA Show recently, with its $1m prize fund, were Irish riders Cameron Hanley, whose horses were among the 51 shipped over from Europe, and Darragh Kenny, who is based in the US these days.

Both riders were in the prize money with Darragh Kenny clocking up two second places in the LA Times Trophy and FOX Sports Trophy classes on Chin Quidam VDL (Chin Chin). He then had an unlucky fence down in the Longines Grand Prix final, with his World Equestrian Games horse Imothep (Indoctro), who is owned by Hyperion Stud.

Like our own Bertram Allen, another amazing young talent in 18-year-old Jos Verlooy, son of the well-known dealer Axel, has burst onto the international scene. The young Belgian rider won the Grand Prix on Domino (Thunder Van De Zuuthoeve) against a world-class field including Olympics runner-up Steve Guerdat, who was competing on Albfuehren’s Dream (Kannan).

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Taking sixth place was Hanley on the aptly named Living The Dream (Toulon), the third Belgian-bred horse among the six-horse jump-off. The best Irish-bred result at this brilliant concept was Laura Kraut’s fifth place in the new Ryder Cup-style Battle of the Nations 1.55m class on Wotsamillion (Captain Clover). The nine-year-old gelding was bred by Walter Hughes and was spotted in England as a young horse by Nick Skelton.

Another Hollywood touch on the LA Convention Center lobby floor was the equine Walk of Fame stars from Deister to Cortes C, and also including the Pessoa’s Irish golden oldies of Special Envoy, Vivaldi, Tomboy and Miss Moet.