Galligan victorious in Wellington

Nicky Galligan and Nikita van de Leeuwerk after winning at Wellington, and below, on the way to a foot-perfect round (Photos: Sportfot)

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 native at the feted Florida venue.

On Saturday night, he and For Gold were second in the $150,000 Hermès Classic Series Final. The pair were part of a 15-combo jump-off for the four-star FEI competition.

They was joined in the tie-breaker by Irish compatriots Richie Moloney and Skelwith Diamond Lady, who finished seventh, Michael Duffy and RMF Clinton Son (11^th) and Bertram Allen on Kingston (12^th).

Coyle and For Gold hit the front when blitzing to a second clear round in a time of 35.68 seconds. Unfortunately for the Derry athlete however, Alex Matz (USA) and Cashew CR were able to improve on that by less than four-tenths of a second, stopping the clock on 35.31 to snatch the overall garlands.

Earlier on, Coyle came agonisingly close to procuring first prize in the four-star WEF Challenge Round.

Riding the progressive Keep Me With You NC, the Derry pilot stopped the lock just with a clear round in 41.43 in the jump-off but Ashlee Bond (ISR) and Night Wish, who had squeezed into the qualifying dozen as the fastest of the four-faulters, somehow found another three- hundredths of a second out of the course to secure the spoils.

On the first day of competition at Wellington on Wednesday Mayo show jumper, Cormac Hanley finished third in a four-star 1.45m jump-off competition, going clear on the double with Heathman Farm’s For Dad with a tiebreak time of 29.34. Francisco Goyoaga Mollet (ESP) took the overall honours with Grisby De Poilley.

There was a considerable Irish representation at the five-star Longines League of Nations show.

Cian O’Connor and Iron Man were an excellent second in the 1.60m Lugano Grand Prix on Thursday night. O’Connor, who was part of Michael Blake’s Irish team along with Darragh Kenny, Daniel Coyle and Tom Wachman, that finished fourth in Friday’s Nations Cup, was just off the top of the podium with a time of 40.81 seconds.

Germany’s Christian Kukuk won the big prize despite being first into the arena in the jump-off, setting a time of 40.61 seconds on Just Be Gentle, with Nina Mallevaey in third with Nikka vd Bischopp.

“I was so pleased because it was the first time I’ve gone a little bit more against the clock on him,” said O’Connor.

“Christian is who he is, an Olympic champion, and his horse is fantastic and very quick. I was just happy with my round. I looked up at the clock and saw it was 0.2 slower, but quickly, I realised it was still a very good result.”

At the beginning of the week, Daniel Coyle – brother of Jordan – added another podium finish to his already burgeoning tally in 2025, this time in the Lugano Grand Prix Qualifier, beaten only by Nicola Philippaerts (BEL) on Derby de Riverland, and world No 2 Kent Farrington (USA), riding Myla, in the 1.55m speed class on the Ariel Grange-owned Quintin.

Irish Sport Horse Tullogher Lady Liberty, bred by Rita Walsh McIntyre and owned by Ciara Walsh McIntyre, was steered into fourth around the Alan Wade-designed course by Janika Sprunger (SUI).

The Swiss Olympian and her Irish horse improved upon that on Saturday by grabbing the middle berth on the podium behind the week’s multiple winner in the WEC Grand Arena in Ocala, Philippaerts.

The mare gave it her all in attempting to reel in the flying Belgian and Derby de Riverland in the $120,000 five-star 1.50m Winning Round class but their clear in a time of 39.79 was a second off the target.

Closer to home on the Andalucía Sunshine Tour, Jessica Burke maintained her consistent levels of performance with a bronze medal at the beginning of the week along with nine-year-old grey gelding Good Star du Bary in the four-star 1.50m Celeste Trophy at Vejer de la Frontera, won by Pedro Veniss (BRA) on Kannans Breaker BR.

The Gort athlete bagged the runner-up prize on Friday in a four-star 1.45m two-phase class with African Affair, won by Rodrigo Giesteira Almeida (POR) and Comme le Coeur, and then just missed out on another podium in the four-star Andalucía Trophy, but fourth was another strong effort along with the admirable Liam Nicholas-owned-and-bred Express Trend (ISH).

Burke and African Affair would also claim fourth in a four-star speed class on Sunday, with Kilkenny pilot, Eoin Brennan the runner-up on Eskola M. There was no catching Luca Maria Moneta (ITA) and El Capone RK, who streaked to victory over a field of 64 in the 1.45m class.

Brennan’s cousin, Seamus Hughes Kennedy just missed out on the podium by the narrowest margins on his upwardly mobile ten-year-old ESI Rocky (ISH), but fourth in the four-star Grand Prix won by Emeric George (FRA) and Dune du Ru was a strong finish to week 7 on the Andalucía Sunshine Tour on Sunday.

ESI Rocky was bred in Kilkenny at Ennisnag Stud, which is run by Hughes Kennedy’s uncles Andrew and Niall, and is owned by his mother Clare, and the grey gelding jumped a double clear in a time of 40.44 to bag €10,550 in prize money.

BREEDING

TULLOGHER LADY LIBERTY (ISH) – 2015 mare by Vdl Indoctro (HOLST) out of Dalivia Vdl (KWPN) by Labor’s Vdl Indorado. Breeder: Rita Walsh McIntyre. Owner: Ciara Walsh McIntyre. Rider: Janika Sprunger (SUI)

EXPRESS TREND (ISH) – 2010 gelding by Future Trend (OLD) out of Condios Express (ISH) by Condios (HOLST). Breeder and owner: Liam Nicholas. Rider: Jessica Burke (IRL).

ESI ROCKY (ISH) – 2015 gelding by Stakkato Gold (HANN) out of Clonaslea (BWP) by For Pleasure (HANN). Breeder: Ennisnag Stud. Owner: Clare Hughes. Rider: Seamus Hughes Kennedy.