The Irish Studbook tasted success at the seven-year-old World Young Horse Championship at Lanaken, Belgium, last Sunday as the Irish-bred MHS Washington was guided to silver by Britain’s Laura Renwick and Ireland’s Eoin McMahon took bronze with Talks Cheap. After the final, a delighted Tom Brennan of the Mill House Stud in Gowran, Co Kilkenny, breeders of MHS Washington, told The Irish Horse: “I am over the moon. This is the culmination of all we do, by winning a medal here at the top of the young horse world in Lanaken.”

MHS Washington crossed the line with a double-clear in 35.13 to confirm a silver medal for the Irish Studbook, finishing fractions of a second behind gold medal winner Gregory Wathelet of Belgium, and 1.8 seconds ahead of Ireland’s bronze medal winner, Eoin McMahon on Carl Hanley’s Talks Cheap.

MHS Washington and Talks Cheap were the Irish Studbook’s two representatives among the 40 finalists through to the seven-year-old final, from an original entry of 210 horses.

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Britain’s Laura Renwick rode the Ita Brennan-bred MHS Washington, who is by OBOS Quality out of a Cavalier dam who traces back all the way to Clare man in the great Kilkenny Kells line.

Laura gave the beautiful bay mare a dream second-round ride to take the lead midway through the 12-horse jump-off in a corner-cutting and polished 35.13. Only Gregory Wathelet bettered that one in 34.97 on MJT Nevados S, by Calvados, for the Polish studbook PZHK.

Last in of the 40 finalists was Ireland’s Eoin McMahon on Carl Hanley’s mare, Talks Cheap, by Tinaranas Inspector (WEST) out of a Colin Diamond dam who was bred by Ronnie Kelly. It took a superb ride to go clear in 36.99 to take bronze for Ireland.

Seven Irish in the finals

In all, the Irish Studbook got a magnificent seven from their team of 15 through to the three Sunday finals. Three of them were through in the six-year-old final – Alberta Mist, Ard Ginger Pop and Drumiller Houdini.

Francis Connors and Drumiller Houdini had the best of it when jumping a smooth double-clear to place ninth in a very hot 17-horse jump-off. Houdini is a lovely grey mare by Clinton (Holst) out of a Ballinvella dam, bred by Paul Dillon in Armagh and owned by the Grove Group. Eighth of 40 to go, he had the all-but-impossible time of 36.61 to beat. The always sensible Connors went for a good clear in 40.31 for a very creditable ninth placing out of the original massive start list of 274.

Also through in this final was last year’s five-year-old Irish silver medallist, Ard Ginger Pop. However, although putting up the fastest time in the jump-off for Brazil’s Marlon Zanotelli, he had one down to place 11th. Greg Broderick’s ride, the Ronnie Kelly-bred Alberta Mist, by Womanizer (KWPN), came back with 12 to place well down the line.

Jumping for the KWPN studbook, Ireland’s Neal Fearon had a nice double-clear on FTS Elliot, by Cicero Z, to place just above Connors in eighth.

Winning it for KWPN in that blistering time of 36.61 was flying Dutchman Maikel Van Mierlo on the gelding Earley, by Harley.

Five-year-old final

The grey mare KMR Twilight, by Vecta out of a Diamond Chin dam, and bred by William Windham in Monaghan, qualified as one of the 49 starters in the five-year-old final out of an original list of 226. Owned and ridden by Cormac Rafferty, she had two fences down in the first round.

Also qualified was the bay mare Flexianna, by Flexible out of a KWPN dam by Holland. She was bred by Gerard Campbell in Kildare and is owned by USA Young Jumpers. With just four faults in the first round for Eddie Moloney, she ended 22nd behind Doran Kuipers on the winning Belgian-bred mare Kerswin Van’t Roosakker, by Echo Van T’Spieveld out of a Diamant de Semilly dam.

Cavan championships

Cavan is buzzing this week for the 22nd Show Jumping Championships which gets into full swing at the weekend. The action kicked off on Tuesday and will conclude on Sunday with the Cavan Classic Final and Cavan Grand Prix, as well as a unique fundraiser for the Robbie McNamara Trust featuring top jockeys AP McCoy, Barry Geraghty and Nina Carberry among others.

Thursday’s Cavan Elite Foal Sale begins at 7pm, while Friday will see the Indoor Derby and Saturday the Hankook Cavan Classic final, both of which start at 7pm.

Diniz in line for GCT cash

Portugal’s Luciana Diniz on the superb 16-year-old Winningmood challenged for the top spot in the Global Champions Tour championship when winning the final qualifying round at Vienna last weekend and moved to within two points of current league leader and defending champion, Britain’s Scott Brash.

There will be a cool €1m to be divided up among the best 18 after the overall final in Doha next November. Brash, who is fresh from scooping €1.3m in the Rolex Grand Slam at Calgary, is on 279 points and Luciana on 277.

Wins for Hanley and Lynch

Cameron Hanley was the winner of the three-star Grand Prix at Donaueschingen on Sunday. With Antello Z, the Mayoman was last to go in a four-horse jump-off and shaved more than a second of the time set by Marc Hourzager of the Netherlands for the win.

Denis Lynch enjoyed a first day 1.50m jump-off win with Abbervail Van Het Dingeshof at the Longines Global Champions Tour round in Vienna. Best of the Irish in the Grand Pix was Cian O’Connor on Super Sox. They had one time fault in round one but clipped the first in round two to place 14th.