Ireland kicks off International Show Jumping weekend in style

IRISH riders made their mark on the opening competitions of this weekend’s international show jumping with two consecutive wins at Drachten in the Netherlands, and a third place in the big five-star show in Basel, Switzerland.

His third place in the five-star “Golden Drum of Basel” jump off class tonight (Thursday) was enough for Tipperary’s Denis Lynch to win 10,000 euro on Thomas Straumann’s bay stallion All Star, finishing just three-quarters of a second off the pace of Belgian winner Gregory Wathelet and Conrad, who claimed the first prize of 16,600 euro.

Later, Jessica Kurten proved to be best of the Irish in the Basel Longines Grand Prix, with an 11th place on VDL Zapatero. Shane Breen also had a fifth place in the 1m45 speed competition with Farao van T Vennehof.

At Drachten in the Netherlands, meanwhile, Mayo’s Cameron Hanley took victory in the two-star jump off competition aboard Dundee vd Dwerse Hagen, while fellow Mayo rider Alex Duffy and Corona posted a first place in the next class, the 1m45 speed competition, with 18 year-old Wexford rider Bertram Allen sealing Irish dominance of the night’s events with a second place on Wild Thing L.

Allen later took victory in the Medium Tour Final at Drachten aboard Wrangler II, with Cameron Hanley claiming the runner-up spot on Caretina de Joter.