Kenny leads Irish 1-2 in Falsterbo five-star

Darragh Kenny and Chic Chic (Sportfot)

Omens positive for another big Nations Cup week

There was an Irish 1-2 at the highest level in show jumping today, as Darragh Kenny led home Cian O’Connor in a 1.50m speed class at the five-star show in Falsterbo, Sweden this afternoon (Thursday).

The pair form half of the Underwriting Exchange Irish Show Jumping team competing selected by Michael Blake to compete in tomorrow’s (Friday) Nations Cup, a very strong team being completed by Conor Swail and O’Connor’s teammate on the squad bound for the Paris Olympics, Daniel Coyle.

Today was about individual competition this time around with Tokyo Olympian, Kenny coming out marginally on top.

A field of 57 came through the gates into the international arena with 13 obstacles comprising 16 jumping efforts to navigate.

The top two were relatively early into the fray with Meath-based native of Kill, Co Kildare, O’Connor first of the pair, on board Eve d’Ouilly. The Karlswood Stables supremo and his ten-year-old mare, owned in partnership with Nicole Walker, were outstanding from start to finish, jumping clear and setting a competitive mark of 69.81 seconds to beat.

It proved beyond all bar one duo, even though it didn’t actually last long. Only four combinations had had a go before Kenny, the Florida-based Belmont, Co Offaly athlete, sauntered onto the stage with the 14-year-old stallion he co-owns with Vlock Show Stables, Chic Chic.

Once more, they were foot perfect but crucially found some slightly quicker turns to inch a slice a little over two-tenths of a second off the time set by O’Connor and Eve d’Ouilly, stopping the clock on 69.59.

The only pair that threatened to break-up the green-jacketed dominance were Martin Fuchs (SUI) and Bastille. They gave it a real good shot too, dipping under the 70 second mark, on 69.99 to claim the final podium position.

“It’s a good positive start to the show,” said a happy Kenny afterwards. “I was delighted with my horse, he jumped well and it was great to start with a win.

“It certainly puts you in a positive frame of mind to begin like that and with Cian in second too, hopefully it’s a good omen ahead of the Nations Cup tomorrow.

“It’s a busy part of the season for me. I go to Dinard’s five-star show next week, then return to America for two weeks and then it’ll be back to Ireland for the Dublin Horse Show, which is always a season highlight.

“But for now, this was a great start here in Falsterbo and hopefully we can keep it going.”