Darragh Kenny scores second Irish win at five-star London Olympia

Irish riders have made a stunning start to the five-star London International Horse Show at Olympia, with Offaly’s Darragh Kenny scoring the second Irish win in less than 24 hours this morning (Friday).

Kenny (pictured) raced to victory in the Snowman Stakes 1m45 speed class riding the 11-year-old mare Fixdesign Funke van ‘t Heike. They stopped the clock clear in 49.86 seconds, almost half a second ahead of Sweden’s Malin Baryard-Johnsson in second place with H&M Second Chance, while Britain’s Robert Bevis finished third aboard Courtney Z.

On Thursday night in Olympia, Antrim teenager Christopher Megahey and the Irish Sport Horse Seapatrick Cruise Cavalier finished as joint winners of the Cayenne sponsored Puissance competition over the big red wall, which reached a final height of 7ft 1 inch.They matched the earlier giant leap of Britain’s Holly Smith riding Quality Old Joker (ISH), to share the winners prize of €12,500.

Christopher Megahey riding Seapatrick Cruise Cavalier (ISH) joint winner of the Olympia Puissance (Photo: Horsepower)

The London International Horse Show at Olympia continues until Monday, with the Longines World Cup and Olympia Grand Prix among the highlights.