Tyson completes special hat-trick

Bred in Gorey, Co Wexford by Patrick Wafer, Parkmore Tyson won the Horse Sport Ireland Champion Event Foal Championship Final at Cavan Equestrian Centre last week for new owner James Meare from Co Clare.

The result completed a hat-trick for the breeder, who already won The Irish Field Breeders’ Championship at the RDS with this foal’s dam Parkmore Evita (by Ghareeb) and the Ennis Municipal All Ireland Colt Foal Championship at Clarecastle.

O’Connor’s new star

Just three weeks after helping the Irish show jumping team to victory and Olympic qualification at the Longines FEI Nations Cup Final in Barcelona, Cian O’Connor and PSG Final (right) won the four-star Grand Prix at Samorin in Slovakia.

“All year I tried to keep him for the team and never went fast in individual classes as I really wanted Olympic qualification more than anything else for Team Ireland,” said O’Connor. “This was the first real opportunity here I had to go against the clock on him and he answered every question and more.”

Coyle’s Olympic dream

Derry show jumper Daniel Coyle led an Irish 1-2 in last Saturday’s $72,000 two-star Lugano Diamonds Grand Prix at Tryon, North Carolina.

Kilkenny’s Richie Moloney and the Irish Sport Horse Rocksy Music took the runner-up spot.

Equine talk

An impressive panel of speakers has been assembled for the National Equine Conference on Thursday, November 14th at the Castletroy Park Hotel, Co Limerick.

The event will focus on addressing current challenges and opportunities for the sport horse sector.

All are welcome and ticket bookings close on teagasc.ie on Thursday, November 7th.

Jumps season warms up at Down Royal

The first Grade 1 race of the jumps season takes place at Down Royal (just outside Belfast) on Saturday. The Ladbrokes Champion Chase [formerly sponsored by jnwine.com] is expected to feature a leading British challenger in the shape of the Paul Nicholls-trained Clan Des Obeaux.

Michael O’Leary’s Gigginstown House Stud has owned the winner of this three-mile race for the past six years and the maroon and white silks are again expected to lead the home defence.

Meanwhile, the turf flat racing season ends at Naas on Sunday. At the time of writing, Donnacha O’Brien was six winners ahead of Colin Keane in the leading jockeys’ title and looks assured of landing his second championship title.