Francis Connors wins Millstreet Grand Prix while Mickey Pender wins Millstreet Ruby and Boomerang finals

Waterford’s Francis Connors has won today’s (Sunday) two-star Grand Prix at Millstreet International Horse Show in Co Cork.

Connors (pictured) produced the only double clear round of the competition with the Hugh Fitzpatrick-owned Irish Sport Horse Erne Lady Goldilocks, to take the winners prize of €8,250. Twelve combinations went forward to the second round jump-off with five of those carrying forward four faults apiece.
With no double clear on the scoreboard when Connors entered the arena, he opted for a cautious round against the clock with Erne Lady Goldilocks and crossed the line clear in 52.57.

Britain’s Graham Lovegrove and Centolove looked set to post a winning round but the penultimate fence fell to the floor. They crossed the line with four faults in 49.07 which would secure runner-up spot. Waterford-born Army rider, Capt. Geoff Curran, carried forward four faults from the first round with Dollanstown (ISH). An excellent clear in the jump-off saw them climb the leaderboard to take third place on the podium in 49.39.

In the earlier Young Horse finals in Millstreet, Kildare’s Mickey Pender recorded a superb double. He first won the Millstreet Ruby 5-year-old final with the Marion Hughes-owned Irish Sport Horse, Forty Roses (Heritage Fortunus x Ramiro B). Pender then added another win in the Millstreet Boomerang Final for 6 & 7-year-olds. He took the winners prize with the Marion Hughes-owned Irish Sport Horse, HHS Fortune (Catoki x Ard Vdl Douglas), while he also filled runner-up spot with HHS Washington (ISH) (Tineranas Inspector x Cavalier Royal).