IRISH riders took second and third in the feature class this evening (Friday) at the five-star show at Valkenswaard in the Netherlands, with Tipperary's Denis Lynch claiming the runner-up spot and Louth-born Mark McAuley less than a second behind him in the jump-off.

The first round yielded an unusually high number of 23 zero scores from a starting field of 45, so competition for the 7,400 euro first prize was considerable in the final round.

Local rider Maikel van der Vleuten eventually produced the fastest jump-off time with the Dutch-bred mare 'VDL Groep Sapphire B', but 35 year-old Lynch was just an eighth of a second off his pace on Flaminia Straumann's Calvaro Z gelding 'Night Train'.

McAuley, who had also taken a sixth place in the earlier Valkenswaard speed class with 'Kerball', this time slotted the bay Holsteiner gelding 'Loriot' into third.

The Global Champions' Tour Grand Prix takes place in the Netherlands showgrounds on Saturday afternoon, when 285,000 euro will be on offer in total prize money.
 

Denis Lynch