Ireland’s Paul O’Shea wins $500,000 ATCO Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Spruce Meadows

Limerick’s Paul O’Shea scored a massive five-star win on Saturday at Spruce Meadows in Canada, when he partnered Imerald Van’t Voorhof to victory in the ATCO Queen Elizabeth II Cup.

Paul O’Shea (IRL) & Imerald van’t Voorhof (Photo: Spruce Meadows Media/Dave Chidley)

Thirty-one combinations qualified for the two round Grand Prix hoping to get a piece of the $500,000 purse, with the top 12 advancing to the second round.

O’Shea and Imerald Van’t Voorhof would finish as the only combination not to lower a fence over the two rounds of competition, after jumping clear in the first round and picking up just a time fault second time out. Mexican riders Eugenio Garza Perez and Patricio Pasquel both carried four faults into round two, but clear second rounds put them in second and third places respectively.

“He’s a great water jumper (Imerald Van’t Voorhof) and very brave. I had a feeling if I brought him here he would excel.” Paul O’Shea on bringing his horse to Spruce Meadows for the first time.