TWOMEY AND HUTCHINSON TOP IRISH PUISSANCE WHITEWASH AT DUBLIN

IRELAND dominated the Puissance competition at the Discover Ireland Dublin Horse Show this evening (Saturday), with nine combinations clear after the second jump-off, and the failure of last year’s winner, Colombia’s Daniel Bluman, to make it past the two metre height.

But it was Cork’s Billy Twomey and Kilkenny’s Michael Hutchinson who shared the 20,000 euro pay cheque when they were the only riders in the fourth jump-off to clear the big wall at 2m50 (7’3″).

Thirty seven year-old Twomey, riding the gelding Afp’S Quick Vainqueur, said afterwards: “What a horse this is. I got him just last week, he’s a puissance specialist, and all I had to do today was get him in the right place, and he did the rest.”

Hutchinson, who is 24 and from a distinguished show jumping family, commented on his 13 year-old gelding Acorad 3: “I’m so happy with the horse. He was not 100 per cent fit, but he gave me everything here today, helped on, of course by this wonderful crowd at the RDS.”

Alexander Butler and Tsjakka took third place, dislodging the top brick in the wall on the final jump-off, but collecting 6,000 euro for his efforts.

Billy Twomey was the first competitor today to see the Irish flag raised again in the main arena of the RDS when he scooped the 4,600 euro prize for first place in the big Accumulator class.

The Cork-born rider was piloting Katrina Moore’s bay stallion Royale du Rouet, and beat fellow-countryman Cameron Hanley on Eleonore Paschoud and Yves Bouvier’s gelding Newton du Haut Bois by just over a second.

Greg Broderick and the Irish Sport Horse MHS Going Global were best of the Irish in the following 1m50 Jump-Off competition, faulting once in the five horse  jump-off to finish fourth behind German winner Daniel Deusser and the bay gelding Fyloe V. Claeyssenhof, who were one of three combinations to go clear. 

Billy Twomey and Michael Hutchinson’s winning jumps

BREEDING:
• Cruise On Clover (ISH) – 2000 grey gelding by Cruising (ISH) out of Ballinakill Clover (ID), by Clover Hill (ID). Bred by Dr Noel Cawley, Co. Kildare. Owner: Laura Nina Aschwanden. Rider: Thomas Ryan (IRL)

• MHS Going Global (ISH) – 2006 bay gelding by Quidam Junior I (KWPN) out of Gowran Lady (ISH), by Cavalier Royale (HOLST). Bred by Ita Brennan, Co. Kilkenny. Owner: Caledonia Stables. Rider: Greg Broderick (IRL)