TWOMEY TAKES FIRST IRISH VICTORY AT BIRMINGHAM’S HORSE OF THE YEAR SHOW

CORK rider Billy Twomey claimed Ireland’s first international win at the British Horse of the Year Show in Birmingham, England today (Friday), with victory in the Five Fence Challenge.

Meath-based Cian O’Connor finished in second, while Wexford’s 19 year-old Bertram Allen completed the competition in equal fourth.

Thirty-seven year-old Twomey was piloting Katrina Moore’s stallion Royale du Rouet, and cleared a huge 1m70 high vertical and 1m90 wide triple bar to secure the 4,000 euro first prize on the third jump-off.

Close behind in second was Irish Olympic bronze medallist Cian O’Connor on Abdullah Humaid Al Muheiri’s mare Ulme De Feugeres, the combination also making it to the third jump-off and picking up 2,500 euro in prize money. In equal fourth following the second jump-off, Bertram Allen and the bay gelding Belmonde won 855 euro.

Twomey on Thursday had also taken fourth place at Birmingham in the 1m45 Two Phase competition with the Joe Flynn’s Irish Sport Horse Ardcollum Duke, with Trevor Breen and another Irish Sport Horse, Oldtown KC, in eighth.

In Chevenez in Switzerland, meanwhile, Ireland’s pony team of Nicholas Connors, Hannah O’Shea, Anne Marie Dunne and Mikey Pender today finished fourth in the Swiss Nations’ Cup on a total of 12 faults, with Germany taking the trophy on four faults.