A TOUGH battle amongst some of the world's top riders and horses at Estoril in Portugal tonight (Saturday) saw two Irishmen finish in the top ten of a 42-strong starting field.

The Global Champions Tour Grand Prix, with 285,000 euro in prize money, left only 18 combinations on a zero score after the first round, and Meath's Cian O'Connor and Cork's Billy Twomey were amongst those who qualified for the second round.

Twomey and Sue Davies's bay stallion 'Je t'Aime Flamenco' were first of the Irish efforts, incurring four faults, while Cian O'Connor shortly afterwards followed suit on Michael Smurfit's new mare 'K Club Lady'.

Though not one of the six qualifying for the final jump-off, the result was good enough to put O'Connor into eight place and Twomey into ninth, and gave them 6,000 euro in prize money apiece.

The Grand Prix first prize of 100,000 euro was won by Germany's Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum and the legendary 'Checkmate'.

Ireland's other two contenders, Denis Lynch and Jessica Kurten, did not make it past the first round after picking up four penalties apiece.

 

Cian O'Connor