SHOWJUMPING – Darragh Kenny and Volnay Du Boisdeville win their first Grand Prix of 2023.

Offaly’s Darragh Kenny and Volnay Du Boisdeville won the $140,000 Southern Arches CSI3* Grand Prix during “Saturday Night Lights” at Wellington CSI3*, Florida, USA.

Darragh Kenny & Volnay du Boisdeville win the CHF140,000 Southern Arches CSI3* Grand Prix. Photo © Sportfot

Speaking about the win, Kenny had high praise for the 14-year-old gelding, owned by Teddy Vlock and Vlock stables.

Darragh Kenny said: “He’s an incredible horse and he’s better when he’s fresh. You can trust him at the jumps and he’s very fast in jump-offs. I knew it was a competitive jump-off, so I just tried to go as quick as I could and hope that the jumps stayed up.”

Carly Anthony (USA) and Jet Blue took second, while Laura Kraut (USA) and Dorado 212 took third place in the $140,000 Grand Prix.

Irish riders kicked off the weekend in style with Tipperary’s Denis Lynch, riding Brooklyn Heights, securing fifth place fifth place in Friday’s Grand Prix at the first World Cup Event of 2023 in Basel, Switzerland with the Irish Sport Horse Eic Cooley Jump the Q – bred by Carlow’s Pam Walshe – taking first place under Austrian rider Max Kühner.

BREEDING:

Eic Cooley Jump the Q (ISH) – 10 YO gelding by Pacino out of Jump the Q (ISH) by OBOS Quality (OLD) bred by Pam Walshe, Carlow.

ENDS