O’Connor finishes 3rd in USA’s Wellington Grand Prix

MEATH’S Cian O’Connor took home Ireland’s biggest prize pot of the weekend when he collected just over 16,000 euro for his third place in the four-star Wellington Grand Prix in Florida tonight (Sunday).

The only Irish rider to go through to the jump-off from a starting field of 50, Olympic bronze medal winner O’Connor steered Adena Springs Stable’s mare Quidam’s Cherie to a further clear round, but was just over three seconds slower than the pace of British winner, World No. 2 Ben Maher, who rode Urico to the first prize reward of 36,000 euro. Second place went to the USA’s Laura Kraut and Nouvelle.

Elsewhere, Co. Down’s Dermott Lennon collected 6,000 euro for a win in the two-star Grand Prix in Vilamoura, Portugal, riding Judith Sossick’s 12 year-old Irish Sport Horse mare Loughview Lou Lou, while Cork’s Billy Twomey was 5,000 euro richer with a fourth place in the Spanish Sunshine Tour’s three-star Grand Prix on his new mount, Royale du Rouet.

In the 1m40 jump-off competition at Vilamoura on Saturday, Galway’s Michael Duffy took the top two places, first with Widny and second with Shahenaz, and then claimed a fifth place in the 1m45 Against the Clock on the Irish Sport Horse Touch of Chilli.

Irish Sport Horses were also to the fore in eventing this weekend, with the USA’s Elisabeth Halliday-Sharp winning the CIC2* competition at Portugal’s Barroca d’Alva on Deborah Halliday’s Fernhill by Night. Fraser Duffy, making his first international appearance for Ireland, took consecutive places in the event with two more Irish Sport Horses – Carol Gee’s Fernhill Revelation in sixth, and Boleybawn Fernhill in seventh

Cian O’Connor and Quidam’s Cherie in action at Wellington

BREEDING:

•Loughview Lou-Lou (ISH) – 2002 bay mare by Limmerick (HOLST) out of Loughview Diamond Lucy (ISH), by Jack Of Diamonds (ID). Owner/Bred by Judith Sossick, Co. Armagh. Rider: Dermott Lennon (IRL)

•Fernhill Revelation (ISH) – 2006 bay gelding by Warrenstown You 2 (ISH) out of Hallo Noble Girl (ISH), by Hallo (SF). Bred by Ronan Tynan, Co. Kilkenny. Owner: Carol Gee. Rider: Fraser Duffy (IRL)

•Boleybawn Fernhill (ISH) – 2002 chestnut gelding by O.B.O.S. Quality 004 (OLD) out of Hallo Highland (ISH), by Hallo (SF). Bred by Gerard Murphy, Co. Kilkenny. Owner: Carol Gee. Rider: Fraser Duffy (IRL)

•Touch Of Chilli (ISH) – 2004 chestnut gelding by Out Of Touch (ISH) out of Ballyginni Chilli Filli (ISH), by Diamond Chin (ISH). Bred by Linda Buchanan, Co. Antrim. Owner: Breen Equestrian & Linda Buchanan. Rider: Michael Paul Duffy (IRL)