Lynch scoops Vienna Championship

DENIS Lynch produced a stylish win at the five-star show in Vienna tonight (Friday) with Thomas Straumann’s 15 year-old Abbervail van het Dingeshof.

The Tipperary-born rider was 20,300 euro richer after a textbook double clear round in the big Mercedes-Benz Vienna Championship competition, with his nearest challenger just under half a second behind, but the rest of the combinations to make it to the jump-off finishing more than three seconds off Lynch’s pace.

A total of 17 riders made it through to the final round at Vienna, but four withdrew, leaving Lynch the only Irish contender of 13 battling it out for the Championship trophy.

Early to go, Lynch and the big bay gelding left all the fences up and stopped the clock at 33.99 seconds, a time that proved unreachable for the rest of the field, and with just five others recording clear jump-off rounds.

Only the USA’s Kent Farrington and the 12 year-old grey Willow came close to challenging Lynch’s lead, but a time of 34.39 left the Florida-based rider in the runner-up spot, but with prize money of 12,300 euro as consolation.

Denis Lynch and Abbervail van het Dingeshof at the presentation ceremony in Vienna tonight.