BELGIUM’s most successful event rider, Karin Donckers, made all to win the CIC2* competition at Pau in France last weekend on the nine-year-old British Sport Horse mare Jalapeno.

Currently ranked number 10 in the world, Donckers led after the dressage phase on a penalty score of 34.4. The minor placings at this stage were held by France’s Heloise le Guern on Saga du Manaou (38.6) and Belgium’s Valentine Steeman on Beauty Boy (40.3) with Australia’s Kevin McNab lying fourth on the Irish Sport Horse gelding Willunga (40.5).

In spite of 2.8 time penalties, Donckers maintained her position at the top of the leaderboard following the cross-country phase but now her closest rival was McNab, who was clear within the time, and the host nation’s Aurelie Vinnac who, although picking up 1.6 time penalties, improved from fifth to third with Quanji de Petra (42.7). Steenman dropped down to sixth with the addition of 5.2 time penalties while Le Guern, who represented France at this year’s European young riders’ championships in Millstreet, withdrew Saga du Manaou before cross-country.

Steenman and Beauty Boy slipped further to 10th following Sunday’s show jumping phase but the top five left all the poles intact, McNab’s single time penalty fortunately not affecting his position of second on Willunga.

Ireland had two representatives in this class, Aidan Keogh who placed 16th on his nine-year-old Lord Noble mare Pride Of Tredstep (55.7), and Alison Holden, who finished 26th with husband Eamon’s 10-year-old My O My gelding O My Balladeer (66.9). Both incurred time penalties across the country and while Keogh show jumped clear, Holden had a fence down and picked up two time penalties.

Donckers was notching up her third victory of the year on Jalapeno, the combination having landed the CCI3* at Baborowko in Poland on their previous start, while in March they won the CIC2* at Barroca d’Alva in Portugal. The chesnut mare, who was bred by British event rider and coach Nick Gauntlett, is by the 2015 Badminton winner Chilli Morning out of the Shaab mare Maiden Voyage.

The 10-year-old Olympic Lux gelding Willunga was bred in Co Limerick by Christopher O’Sullivan out of the Coevers Diamond Boy mare Ringmoylan Beauty. He was consigned by the Seymours to the nine-day performance horse sale at Goresbridge in 2010 when he was purchased late on the final afternoon by Sally and Shaun Parkyn. Through a photograph, they sold the bay on to Nicky Roncoroni who produced him up to Intermediate level.

FULL COVERAGE FROM PAU ON PAGE A61