Galligan victorious in Wellington
There were plenty of good individual performances by Irish athletes on the global show jumping circuit in the past week but Nicky Galligan was the big winner, scoring in a four-star speed class on the penultimate week of the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington. Galligan, originally from Meath but now based in New York at Guardian Stables, had a target of clear in 62.23 set by Nayel Nassar (EGY) to aim for in the 1.50m contest and managed to eke just over three-tenths of a second off it on board VDL Nikita van de Leeuwerk, stopping the clock on 61.9. “I’m so proud of (Nikita) and the incredible team behind us that make days like this possible,” said a buoyant Galligan. “We really do have the best people in our corner.” Jordan Coyle and For Gold finished third, and it was the first of three podium finishes for the Ardmore […]
Coyle cousins and Swail among big winners
It’s another memorable week for Irish riders and breeders on the international circuit Christian Coyle (photographed above by Erin Gilmore en route to victory with Extravaganza Semilly) beat off the challenge of first cousin Daniel in not-so-sunny Florida to secure the $62,700 first prize in the weather affected Live Oak International Grand Prix last night (Sunday). And while that was happening, over in California, Conor Swail was securing a second major four-star prize of the week in the 1.50m Classic to bring the Desert International Horse Park season to a triumphant conclusion. And Irish breeders also figured prominently with winning machine Killossery Konfusion (ISH) denying Swail another major victory by taking first prize in a $200,000 four-star Grand Prix on Saturday. LOI proved to be an excellent show for the Coyle crew from Derry, with Daniel having sampled success earlier in the week, as did the Olympian’s brother Jordan. Jordan […]
Five-star glory for Kenny, as McCarthy and Ryan also score
Amhrán na bhFiann has gotten a good airing around the world in the past few days, with Darragh Kenny, Simon McCarthy (twice) and Thomas Ryan registering victories. Kenny bagged a five-star prize at Wellington International in the early hours of Friday morning Irish time, navigating Oakland Stables newcomer Zero K around the challenging course set by designer Alan Wade without blemish on two occasions, stopping the clock on 34.86 seconds in the jump-off to enter the winner’s circle. The 11-year-old mare was careful first time around, but with Kenny offering expert guidance, put on the after-burners in the jump-off, leaving a high-class opposition for dust in a scintillating display to earn a cheque for £38,313. They were 1.21 seconds faster than Israel’s runner-up Daniel Bluman on Gemma W, with Spencer Smith (USA) third on Keeneland. “I’ve been getting to know the mare a lot better through circuit because I only […]
Kenny and Cartello bag five-star GP in Monterrey
Dual Olympic stallion secures maiden elite GP win five weeks before retirement Emotions were high in Monterrey overnight as Darragh Kenny was rewarded for an all-or-nothing approach to secure a maiden five-star Grand Prix for his double Olympic partner VDL Cartello, just weeks ahead of the 17-year-old’s retirement from top-flight show jumping. Kenny and the horse that made “so many of my dreams come true at high levels,” have been successful all around the world, individually and as part of the Underwriting Exchange Irish Show Jumping team competing in Nations Cups, most recently being part of Michael Blake’s squad at the Olympics in Paris, four years after reaching the individual final in Tokyo. But a five-star Grand Prix had been missing from the veteran stallion’s CV until the early hours of this morning Irish time, when the duo beat off some of the greats of their sport to land the […]
Irish eventers win Boekelo Nations Cup in stunning style
Albert’s crew excel in show jumping to blow elite field away Dag Albert has hailed a fantastic team effort in testing conditions after the Agria Irish Eventing Team blitzed an elite field to win the four-star FEI Eventing Nations Cup at Boekelo today. Albert’s squad of Aoife Clark on Sportsfield Freelance, Susie Berry on the Vincent Cousins-bred Irish Sport Horse Clever Trick, Pádraig McCarthy with Pomp N Circumstance and Austin O’Connor with Iazsa concluded with a total of 102.6 penalties, to prevail comfortably from USA (116.1), as Germany claimed bronze on 131.9. A tremendous effort in yesterday’s cross-country catapulted the Charles Ancona Green Jackets to the top of the 11-nation table ahead of this afternoon’s show jumping phase and they made no mistake, Clark confirming the famous victory with a professional four-fault round. Clark’s beaming smile told a tale and when she joined her teammates and Horse Sport Ireland High […]
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