Lynch adds to five-star haul in St Gallen

Vistogrand joins Tipp man’s top-flight winners in 2024

Denis Lynch made light of the rain and heavy underfoot conditions to add to his burgeoning tally of five-star successes this year at St Gallen’s Longines League of Nations meeting.

Unfortunately, the Swiss League of Nations event scheduled for yesterday fell foul of the weather but the Prize MS Direct Group 1.50m two-phase class survived a cull of competitions today and it was Lynch and Vistogrand (above, photos by Morgan Froment) that came out on top of the €56,400 contest.

Lynch and his 11-year-old stallion were third-last into the arena and they caught the eye while registering what would be one of 16 clear rounds.

The Tipperary native also had the 18-year-old stallion, Rubens LS La Silla in the jump-off and that might have been significant, as the Longines world-ranked No 37 athlete was able to get a significant sighter, going clear in a time of 30.07 seconds that would eventually secure ninth position.

Home athlete, Dominik Fuhrer sent the locals wild when Ghost hit the front with a clear round in 27.40. They were just the fourth combination having a crack at the jump-off but try as subsequent challengers might to improve upon that mark, time and again they fell by the wayside.

That was until Lynch and Vistogrand entered the fray, however. Armed with the knowledge gained from his earlier scouting trip, the experienced pilot and his partner were electric, squeezing out every margin possible to go clear in a winning time of 26.87.

Lynch recorded a remarkable double five-star success at the Longines Global Champions Tour event in Mexico City last April, and followed up with Cornets Iberio scoring at the highest level in Hamburg in May.