SENTOWER Park in Belgium proved a happy hunting ground for Irish riders over the weekend, with numerous successes over a wide variety of classes.

The most notable of these was a win in Sunday’s two-star 1.45m Grand Prix for Co Tyrone’s Emily Turkington on the 10-year-old gelding Cornet (Cornet’s Prinz x Clarimo), owned by Donald Loughran.

There were 59 starters in the class, just 10 of whom jumped clear first rounds, with only five of those clear again in round two. Turkington was among the double clears, stopping the clock in 37.51 seconds in the jump-off to take victory. British rider Harry Charles and Bandit were runners-up, with a time of 38.12. Coen Williams on J.Diago were joint eighth in the class.

Wexford’s Harry Allen had got things underway in the right manner on Thursday, when he led an Irish one-two in the two-star 1.40m Two-phase Special class. Riding the nine-year-old mare Kazelli VDL, Allen was best of the 86 starters, with a double clear round. Fellow Irishman Rhys Williams had been in the lead on Cowboy Balou with his speedy jump-off time of 29.19 seconds, but Allen managed to be a fraction quicker, shaving 0.13 seconds off Williams’ time, stopping the clock in a super-quick 29.06 to take the top spot and nudge Williams into second place.

Later in the day, Coen Williams managed to go one better than brother Rhys, when he and Conthanja won the two-star 1.45m Grand Prix qualifier. There were 35 starters in the class, 17 of whom jumped clear. Coen was the fastest to leave all the fences standing, finishing in a brilliant time of 61.06 seconds with the 10-year-old black mare. The nearest challenger was Germany’s Leonie Büttel and Jevenda, who finished in 62.52 seconds to take the runner-up spot.

Irish ribbons

Competitions began at Sentower Park last Thursday, April 18th, when Allen got the ball rolling with Outlaw, placing seventh in the Five-year-old 1.10m Two-phase Special class, while in the Six-year-old 1.20m Two-phase Special, Emma O’Dwyer on SVS Symphony placed eighth.

Turkington made a good start to the show by winning the Seven- and Eight-year-old 1.30m/1.35m Two-phase Special class with Carrickview Cheap Thrills.

In the two-star 1.35m Two-phase Special, Kevin Thornton on Texas KDW Z placed seventh, followed by Allen on Larissa in eighth.

O’Dwyer had another eighth place with SVS Symphony in Friday’s Six-year-old 1.20m class, while Eoin McMahon on Kokomo B placed eighth in the day’s two-star 1.35m class and Rhys Williams placed sixth in the two-star 1.40m Two-phase Special with Cowboy Balou.

On Saturday, Allen and Outlaw were fourth in the Five-year-old 1.10m class, while McMahon on Kokomo B placed eighth in the two-star 1.40m Two-phase Special. McMahon went on to ride Cupido 130 into fourth place in the one-star 1.35m class.

O’Dwyer on SVS Symphony won Sunday’s Six-year-old 1.25m class, when from 34 starters, the pair were among just eight clear first rounds and went on to secure the fastest clear in the jump-off at 40.40 seconds.

Allen followed this up with a win in the Seven- and Eight-year-old 1.35m/1.40m class on board Daredevil Z, where he was best of 82 starters, 29 of whom had jumped clear in round one. Allen’s jump-off time of 35.99 seconds could not be bettered. In the Five-year-old 1.15m class, Allen and Outlaw placed sixth.