SHOW JUMPING

Emer Bermingham

Action in the Horseware/TRM Grand Prix series moved to Connell Hill and taking the win in the host-sponsored class last Saturday was Vincent Byrne and Mr Rockefeller. This was an important win for Byrne as he cemented his place on top of the leader board before the break for Dublin Horse Show. Byrne crossed the line less than a second ahead of his nearest rival when clocking 35.09 seconds.

A delighted Byrne said: “It was a very fair track but a really competitive jump-off. Every time a horse went in, the lead seemed to change hands. I was able to see the first five or six go and I knew that it was going to be hard to beat the time. My plan was to make up the time from fence one to two. I got a good jump at the oxer prior to the double and this allowed me to to go down to the double in seven strides. I also took one stride out to the last which gave me the fractions of a second that I needed.”

Of the 29 starters that took on the Raymond Jess-designed course, 12 delivered first round clears and of those, eight delivered double clears.

In second place was local rider Emily Turkington riding Willem clear in 35.64 while third place was occupied by Peter Smyth and Tunmore in 36.14. Antrim rider Luke Campbell was fractions behind with Trebra Douglas in 36.40.

Ger O’Neill didn’t hang about with Isacorada and a clear in 36.77 was enough for him to take fifth place and keep him in second place on the leader board. Liam O’Meara completed the top six line-up when he crossed the line in 36.97 with Mr Coolcaum.

At Bannow and Rathangan Show last Thursday, Waterford's Francis Connors took the honours with Hilda Anthony’s Lates Du Carel and also the runner-up slot with Bobby Flynn's Hyperion in the Jim Bolger-sponsored €5,000 class.

DOMINANT FORCE

Connors is proving a dominant force in the national leagues, having won the Premier Series in Cork the previous Sunday with Erne Ladygoldilocks.

Owned by Hilda Anthony, Lates Du Carel is a nine-year-old mare by Harlequin du Carel out of the Kalypso-sired mare Phillies Corner. The mare originally began her career in eventing, qualifying for the three-year-old loose eventing jumping in the RDS, before being bought by Anthony at Goresbridge. After a short time on the eventing circuit, the mare moved on to show jumping, where she was successfully campaigned by Connors. As a five and six-year-old, she qualified for Dublin and then as a seven-year-old, the combination competed at Lanaken. Moving up to Grand Prix level this year, the pair started off strong finishing third at Charleville Show and Galway County.

Connors said: "I was delighted at how both horses jumped, coming first and second was not what I expected. The horses were absolutely super in the jump-off. The mare has been unlucky with a pole down in the last few Grands Prix but she really jumped well today and deserved the win. My other horse Hyperion is in top form. He has had a good week finishing third at the Munster Stadium Jumping last week."

Spectators lined the arena to watch the 29 combinations take on James Tarrant’s track in the Horseware/TRM Grand Prix. With 10 of combinations booking their place in the jump-off, the class proved very competitive. Gorey rider Deirdre Doyle riding BLM Authentic Diamond delivered the first double clear of the class and their time of 51.75 saw her take eventual fifth.

short-lived lead

Despite a good start, Doyle lead was short-lived, as just two horses later Connors riding Hyperion lowered the target to 39.69.

Eddie Moloney wasted no time with Boncouver, but stopped the clock in 42.99, which later proved good enough for eventual fourth. Paddy O’Donnell proved that the time could be beaten as he clocked 36.78 with Minority Report but it came at a price as four faults at fence eight meant he had to contend with sixth.

With a win in sight, Francis Connors returned with his second mount Lates Du Carel to lower the target to 38.60 and demote his first horse Hyperion into second. Last to go, Ger O’Neill wasted no time with Eamonn Murphy’s stallion Dondoctro Ryal K, but despite taking a series of tight turnbacks, failed to demote Connors when crossing the line with nothing to add in 39.91 for third.