Tipperary’s Denis Lynch delivered an outstanding performance in Sunday’s five-star Longines FEI World Cup Grand Prix at Leipzig,Germany, to take a commanding victory in a 16-horse jump-off which featured many of the world’s top horses and riders.

Lynch rode the 14-year-old gelding GC Chopin’s Bushi, who is owned by Onyx Consulting, to victory. Lynch took the lead when ninth to go in the jump-off, completing a stunning clear round which saw him cross the line in 33.16 seconds. Only one rider managed to finish within a second of the Irish winner while keeping the fences standing, with Germany’s Christian Ahlmann and Dominator 2000 Z taking the runner-up spot in 33.37.

Denis Lynch’s partnership with GC Chopin’s Bushi began midway through last season and last weekend’s win comes just a week after the pair finished second in the Longines Grand Prix at Basel in Switzerland.

Getting to know each other

“I’m delighted with my horse,” commented Lynch “He has been great the last few weeks. We are slowly getting to know each other and today I asked him twice really – on the turn back to the double and to the second last and he really tried for me.

“We have had our ups and downs. In Helsinki we were clear and then he stopped in the jump-off.

“Then I took him to Paris and he did the same, so it’s been up and down for us, so to win today, I am really delighted with my horse.”

Along with a winner’s prize of €40,000, the points gained in Leipzig have moved Lynch up to fourth place on the World Cup league table – meaning he is now almost certainly now qualified for April’s World Cup Final in Las Vegas.

Speaking after the result, Horse Sport Ireland CEO Ronan Murphy said: “On behalf of everyone at Horse Sport Ireland, I want to pass on our congratulations to Denis Lynch on his fantastic win in Leipzig.

A win in the Longines FEI World Cup is always extremely difficult to achieve and this performance was exceptional against a world class field.”