Wins in Canada and Germany spotlight three days of Irish successes

TWO Irish wins at the four-star show in Spruce Meadows, Canada, and several victories at Aachen’s five-star show in Germany have spotlighted several days of consistent success for Irish riders competing abroad.

Tonight (Saturday) Cork’s Shane Sweetnam won the Direct Energy Derby at the Canadian show on board Sweet Oak Farm’s Swedish gelding Fineman, recording the only clear round of the competition, but for good measure also claimed sixth place on Spy Coast Farm’s Cyklon. Mayo’s Cameron Hanley took ninth in the Derby with Eleonore Paschoude & Yves Bouvier’s gelding Player du Quesnoy.

On Friday night, Co. Down’s Conor Swail brought Susan Grange’s gelding Game Ready across the line to win a seven-horse jump off in the Friends of the Meadows Cup, while Cameron Hanley again claimed a top ten place at the Canadian show, this time with Dundee vd Dwerse Hagen in fourth. Shane Sweetnam took ninth on the mare Everly Chin de la Pomme.

At Aachen, Tipperary’s Shane Breen won tonight’s speed class with his own bay mare Ominerale Courcelle, while Co. Down’s Dermott Lennon slotted Lisa Rosbotham’s Irish Sport Horse Newmarket Venture Clover into fifth.

Breen had success with another Irish Sport Horse, Cos I Can, placing third in Aachen’s Winning Round competition tonight, while Cian O’Connor added to his Thursday night win with a fifth place on the 12 year-old gelding Unique.

Breen also collected prize money from his win on Zarnita in a joint effort with Australia’s Boyd Exell in Friday night’s Jump and Drive competition, and again shared success with Cian O’Connor when they placed second and fifth, respectively, in Friday’s speed class. Breen again rode Ominerale Courcelle while O’Connor piloted his own mare Trebox Acorada.

Dermott Lennon added to his German prize pot with a runner-up place on Keonan Stables’s bay gelding Hallmark Elite in tonight’s Accumulator competition, with Cian O’Connor and The Edge’s bay gelding Carpe Diem finishing in fifth.

In Monte Carlo, meanwhile, Ireland’s Mark McAuley and Loriot won the five star Pro-Am Cup in partnership with Italy’s Maddalena Valenzano Menada  on Quidana.

BREEDING:

Newmarket Venture Clover (ISH) – 2004 bay gelding by Newmarket Venture (HANN) out of Newmarket Rare Cavalier (ISH) by Cavalier Royale (HOLST). Breeder: Billy Daly, Scarteen Stud, Lower Road, Newmarket, Co. Cork. Owner: Lisa Rosbotham. Rider: Dermott Lennon

Cos I Can (ISH) – 2003 bay gelding by Olympic Lux (KWPN) out of Carel View Lass (ISH), by Harlequin De Carel (SF). Bred by John Griffin, Ballyvogue House, Asketon, Co. Limerick. Owner/Rider: Shane Breen (IRL)