Lennon shares Grand Prix win at Spanish Sunshine Tour

CO. DOWN’S Dermott Lennon was one of two Irish show jumping Grand Prix winners today (Sunday), but in an unusual twist had to share first place at the Spanish Sunshine Tour with Briton Robert Bevis, both riders recording an identical time at the end of the 12-horse jump off.

Former World Champion Lennon piloted his long-time partner, the Irish Sport Horse Loughview Lou Lou, and in a clear round stopped the clock at 37.83, a time exactly the same as Bevin and the chestnut gelding Courtney Z. The Irish and British riders shared the Grand Prix first place prize pot, taking home just under 14,000 euro each.

In what turned out to be a good week for Irish-breds in the Sunshine Tour’s home of Vejer de la Frontera, American star Reed Kessler rode Shane Breen’s former mount Cos I Can into Grand Prix third place today, while earlier Army rider Capt. Michael Kelly took three wins in three days on the Irish Sport Horses Mullentine Loughall and Drumiller Lough.

In the one-star show at Mijas in Spain, meanwhile, 20 year-old Sven Hadley was Ireland’s second Grand Prix winner today, when he brought Adelgonde Z across the line with almost one-and-a-half seconds in hand over Spanish runner-up Jesus Torres Garcia and GP Alvaro v Pachern.

At the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) in Wellington, Florida, Limerick’s Paul O’Shea claimed victory and 8,000 euro in Saturday night’s Suncast Jumper Classic, riding Skara Glen’s Sienna to one of only four double clear rounds from a starting field of 64.

Dermott Lennon and Loughview Lou Lou