Twomey wins Liverpool Grand Prix
- 4 January 2016, 00:23
CORK’S Billy Twomey rounded off a superb three days for Irish horses and riders at the inaugural Liverpool International Horse Show in the UK, with victory in last nights (Sunday) Grand Prix aboard Diaghilev.
Twomey beat British superstar John Whitaker by almost two seconds to take the title along with over 20,000 euro in prize money, while he was also crowned leading rider of the exciting new city centre show.
Speaking afterwards, the 38-year-old Carrigaline native said: “I could see a few of the others go on the monitor, so I had an idea what I had to do. However with another rider to go after me, I had to put down a good marker. It has been an unbelievable show, the organizers deserve a serious amount of credit,” he said.
Twomey also finished fourth in Sunday’s Speed Class at Liverpool with Joe Flynn’s Irish Sport Horse, Ardcolum Duke, while Tipperary’s Denis Lynch slotted into sixth place with Icon D’Or.
Irish riders scored numerous wins at what was the very first Liverpool International show, sponsored by Equestrian.Com and held in the Echo Arena on Merseyside. Tyrone’s Peter Smyth took Friday’s Puissance competition, jumping the big red wall at its final height of 7ft 1 with the Irish Sport Horse Cavalier Rusticana, while Longford’s Aisling Byrne drove away with a brand new Mini Cooper after she won the Irish Horse Gateway competition. Co Down’s Kirsten Farr added another win for Ireland in Sunday morning’s opening Amateur Speed class.
Kilkenny’s Marion Hughes meanwhile, scored a win at Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates on Saturday with the Irish Sport Horse, Heritage HHS Fortuna. Hughes also finished as runner-up in the Grand Prix at the same venue with the nine-year-old gelding Laith.
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