Irish riders were in winning form last weekend in Florida, Abu Dhabi and Basel.

Under the Florida sun, they got well into the prizes as the big $9m Winter Equestrian Festival got under way at Wellington.

Tipperary’s Kevin Babington scored a good 1.45m win on the Irish-bred gelding Super Chilled by Gelvin Clover that came from Greg Broderick. Down’s Conor Swail took second on Quiet Cassini. Also notching up an early win was Derry’s Daniel Coyle, who had taken Conor’s place with Sue and Ariel Grange’s team. He won the $6,000 Illustrated Speed on Cita.

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Coyle went on to claim the $75,000 Rosenbaum Mollengarden PLLC Grand Prix last Sunday, closing out week one on a high. Coyle and the 11-year-old Holsteiner mare (Casall x Pik Ramiro) crossed the timers in 37.05 seconds, just ahead of fellow countryman Conor Swail and Flower (0/0 37.16)

Meanwhile, in the sands of Abu Dhabi, both Lanaken star Mikey Pender and Kilkenny’s Marion Hughes had some good results. Mikey won the 1.45m class with Team Z7’s Z7 Cordanos V.

He also took the Young Horse Grand Prix with Z Seven Caretina. Marion had a third in a Grand Prix qualifier there with Can You Makan. In the Grand Prix events, Pender came seventh in the opening one with Hercules behind Germany’s David Will on the Cruising mare Mic Mac du Tillard. In the second Grand Prix last Saturday, he and Hercules were clear again but went out in the second round.

Tipperary’s Denis Lynch saw action in the snow at Basel and had top 10 finishes with Echo de Laubry and Ho Go van de Padenborre.

A single fence down on All Star 5 in Sunday’s Longines Grand Prix dropped him back to 17th behind winner Niels Bruynseels of Belgium on Gancia de Muze by Molito de Reve out of a Nimmerdor dam.

The 43rd annual The Irish Field awards are scheduled to take place on Monday two weeks, 6 February.

Under the editorship of Val Lamb and Avrl Douglas, the beautiful silver trophies were first awarded in 1974 when Eddie Macken took the top show jumping award. The ceremony has been an annual equestrian feature ever since as the best show jumpers, eventers and dressage riders of any given year are recognised. Newly appointed Irish Horse World editor Isabel Hurley will this time be in charge for the first time.