McCarthy makes history in Blenheim

Pádraig McCARTHY with MGH Zabaione (ISH) at Ballindenisk International last April (Irish Eventing Times)

Tipp athlete and homebred star edge out Goss and Kojak in Irish 1-2

On an unforgettable weekend for Irish horse sport, Pádraig McCarthy made his own bit of history by becoming the first Irish athlete to win the four-star short course class for eight/nine-year-olds at Blenheim International Horse Trials on Sunday.

McCarthy took the honours in dramatic fashion in a contest that is well established as a proving ground for future stars of eventing, and remarkably, led home an Irish 1-2 with Georgie Goss in second. This came as Mikey Pender and Niamh McEvoy were crowed world champions in the show jumping arena in Lanaken, showcasing once more the calibre of talent Ireland is producing in the horse sport sphere.

Adding to the glow of victory for McCarthy is that he was partnered with a homebred in Irish Sport Horse, MGH Zabaione, which he owns along with Peter Cattell and Diane Brunsden. While at the lower end of the age scale for the competition as an eight-year-old, Zabaione illustrated his class as well as sound temperament when prevailing in a thrilling competition that went right down to the wire before victory was confirmed.

McCarthy, a Devon-based Tipperary native, edged out overnight leader Goss, who switched allegiances to Ireland last year, and Kojak. In difficult weather conditions, the winners went around the cross-country course with just four time faults – the third fastest time of the day – putting the pressure on with a final tally of 36.1.

Goss and Kojak, who had produced an outstanding dressage round to head the class with just 27.7 faults and like their challengers, gone clear in the show jumping ring, were outstanding as the rain poured down. Their tally of 8.8 time faults saw them fall agonisingly behind their compatriots by 0.4 faults, which translates as one second. In a class of such tight margins, a lost shoe mid-way through the round may well have been significant.

Thanks to a rapid cross-country round that cost just 1.2 time faults – there was only one faultless round in the entire class – Caroline Harris (GBR) was third with another Irish Sport Horse, the David Harrison-bred former show jumper Cooley Mosstown, with a tally of just 36.9 faults.

It was nailbiting stuff but the honours went to McCarthy.

“I expected to get a very good result,” said McCarthy. “He’s done three four-stars now and he’s been placed every time. I didn’t expect to win it, especially with where we were after the show jumping, but to win is a huge thrill.

“I think there was plenty to do (in the cross-country) and it was quite slippery. There were lots of twists and turns. Horses always get a little tired here, but luckily MGH Zabaione does his training on the hills in Dartmoor and was really fit – he stayed really with me all the way and I think that’s what got me the win. He’s got a great length of stride and I could keep using his gallop. He’s an incredible horse that makes my job easy.

“He’s probably the most complete horse I’ve ever ridden. He’s won at every level so far; two-star, three-star and four-star and I bred him, so it’s really exciting. It’s amazing for the owners too – they believed in me when I said the horse was a really good one when I sold him to them when he was a four-year-old.

“I hope he’ll be a good one for championships in the future.”

Goss was understandably sad to have gotten so close to a statement victory but could not have asked more of Kojak, a nine-year-old she co-owns with Molly Fisher, Lucy Fleming and Samantha Wilson.

“I’m so proud of him. There’s that natural disappointment of moving down to second, but if someone had offered me that placing on him last week, I would have snatched their hand off,” said Goss.

“He’s an exceptional horse and I’m so, so proud of what he’s done today. I was going as fast as I physically could – he lost a shoe about half-way round and had a few slips, and I’d like to think that would have been the difference between winning or not, but he slipped, picked himself up and jumped the fences and galloped and galloped.

“He gives me 110% of everything he’s got at every single event and every single day. He’s quite green for the level and my intention coming here was for him to have a nice round and get used to the crowds, but then as soon as he performed the way he did in the dressage, we had to kick on.”

BREEDING

MGH ZABAIONE (ISH) – 2016 brown stallion by Zavall VDL (KWPN) out of Vancara VDL (KWPN) by Acobat II (HOLST). Breeder: Pádraig McCarthy. Owner: Peter Cattell, Diane Brunsden & Pádraig McCarthy. Rider: Pádraig McCarthy (IRL)

COOLEY MOSSTOWN (ISH) – 2016 brown stallion by Celtic Hero B Z (ZANG lic. ISH) out of Rabaila (HOLST) by Riverman (HOST). Breeder: David Harrison, Co Longford. Owner: Gail Sinclair, Karen Dunford & Dinah Posford Rider: Caroline Harris (GBR)