Hanley takes 8th in tough Paris Hermes Grand Prix

Cameron Hanley and Antello Z. Picture Xavier Boudon/Pixizone.com

ON A day of mixed fortunes at the magnificent Grand Palais arena in Paris, Mayo’s Cameron Hanley was best of the Irish in today’s (Sunday) feature class, the 400,000 euro Hermès Grand Prix, while two Mayo brothers, Alex and Michael Duffy, also placed Ireland third in the Under-25 Team Competition.

Only four of the 37 combinations who entered the French Grand Prix managed to go clear in the first round, with the last difficult line of fences decimating the field, and also helping to deny the four Irish riders who took part a chance at the jump-off.

Hanley, who is making a spectacular comeback in international show jumping after a two year lay-off due to a serious injury, was amongst the fastest of the four-faulters, and ended up claiming eighth place on Eleonore Paschoud and Yves Bouvier’s bay gelding Antello Z for 10,000 euro in prize money.

The Grand Prix and its first prize of 132,000 euro was claimed by German ace Marcus Ehning and the grey stallion Cornado NRW, who recorded one of only two double clear rounds in the class.

In the morning’s senior two-phase class, a resurgent Jessica Kürten and the stallion Arezzo VDL produced a sixth place against the clock, while Cameron Hanley and Dundee v. Dwerse Hagen finished seventh. The competition was won by Roger Yves Bost and Lady Georgina Forbes’s stallion Castle Forbes Vivaldo vh Costersveld.

Kurten and Arezzo VDL also finished second with France’s Kevin Staut in Saturday’s team competition, and had a runner-up place on the same horse in Friday’s opening two-phase.

Later on Sunday, brothers Alex and Michael Duffy claimed third place of ten international teams competing in the elite “Les Talents Hermès” Under 25 competition.

Alex, riding Ecurie Galoubet’s chestnut gelding Felix XXVIII, had two fences down, while brother Michael on John Murphy’s grey gelding Murchu went clear over both rounds to give Ireland a total of eight faults.

The competition was won by the British team of Jessie Drea on the Irish Sport Horse Touchable, and Louise Saywell with the grey mare Hello Winner, who returned a zero score total, and collected almost 4,000 euro each in prize money.

Meanwhile at the two-star show in Vidauban, 700 kilometres from Paris on the sunny south coast, Kilkenny-born Eddie Moloney took second place in the Grand Prix today with the Irish Sport Horse Douglas Hill, losing out to French winner Dorothée Amar and Nemo de Belou by just under two seconds.

In Wellington, Florida, late on Sunday night, Eddie Moloney’s brother Richie took top places in the 1m50 three-star Classic Jump-Off class, with a win on Alsvid and for good measure a third place on Elouise de Muze.