CATHAL Daniels was Ireland’s highest-placed rider on the international eventing scene last weekend when finishing eighth in the CCI4*-L at the SsangYong Blenheim Palace international horse trials where the top four horses in the 86-strong class were all Irish-bred. Daniels was on board Jo Breheny’s home-bred LEB Lias Jewel on whom, earlier in the season, he won the CCIU253*-L at Tattersalls followed by CCI4*-S at Kilguilkey. The Limmerick mare was retired in the CCI4*-L at Millstreet and had a stop at Lisgarvan but she bounced back to form when landing the EI120 National Championship at Kilguilkey a fortnight ago.
The combination were lying 38th after dressage but being just a second over the time across the country on Saturday and with a clear show jumping round the following afternoon, completed on 32.4. The time penalty proved expensive. “I actually timed myself to be home a second under but, while I did query the penalty, I didn’t manage to get it changed. It cost me three places,” said a frustrated Daniels.
Ireland's Cathal Daniels and Jo Breheny's LEB Lias Jewel at Blenheim International Horse Trials where they finished eighth in the CCI4*-L \ Equus Pix Photography
“My mare flew around the cross-country which proved very, very influential and very few of those who started before me on Saturday managed to complete. Lia is now finished for the season.”
Among those who failed to finish over the David Evans-designed track was the dressage winner, Britain’s Izzy Taylor, who retired Monkeying Around (22.7) after a couple of stops. Her compatriot, Will Rawlin, withdrew the second-placed VIP Vinnie (24.2) before cross-country.
Victory for French
Third after dressage, Britain’s Piggy French recorded her 12th international victory of the season when completing on her first phase score with the Irish Sport Horse gelding Brookfield Inocent (25.4).
The Inocent 10-year-old was bred in Co Wicklow by John Mulvey out of the Kings Servant mare Shalies Pet. He twice won the CIC2* at Camphire under his previous rider, Australia’s Kevin McNab. His grandam Shalie (by Windjammer) was a half-sister to the Sheer Grit gelding Clay County who visited the winner’s enclosure 16 times, scoring 14 times over fences and being placed in many of the top handicap chases in Britain.
French also completed on her dressage score to finish third on the Bernard Keveney-bred 14-year-old Captain Clover gelding Castletown Clover (28.6) while Japan’s Kazuma Tomoto slotted into second on his first phase score with the Tristan Kingston-bred 11-year-old Master Imp gelding Brookpark Vikenti (25.6) on whom he also finished second in the CCI4*-S at Ballindenisk in April.
Australia’s Sammi Birch lost out on third place when picking up 2.8 cross-country time penalties on Direct Tullyoran Cruise (30.4), an 11-year-old Vriend mare who was bred in Co Leitrim by Patrick Walpole.
Britain's Piggy French and Brookfield Inocent (ISH), bred by Co Wicklow's John Mulvey, on their way to winning the 2019 SsangYong Blenheim International Horse Trials \ Nigel Goddard
Burton wins
On OLS King Aragon (49.2), Daniels was also the highest-placed Irish rider when 20th in the 66-runner CCI4*-S for eight and nine-year-old horses where Chris Burton made a winning debut on Clever Louis.
The Devon-based Australian was lying second after dressage and show jumping on his flatwork mark (29.7) but was left in front before going out on Sunday’s cross-country phase following the withdrawal of the William Fox-Pitt-partnered overnight leader, this year’s Tattersalls CCI3*-L winner, Georgisaurous, who was on the same score.
Successful in this class two years ago on the ISH gelding Cooley Lands, Burton came home clear on the final leg and bang on the optimum time of 6.44 to win by a near seven-point margin on Clever Louis who was campaigned up to early August by Germany’s Ben Leuwer. The nine-year-old Holstein gelding is by the Polish thoroughbred Cyrkon out of the Cor de la Bryere mare Latifa 6.
With 5.6 cross-country time penalties, Britain’s Tom McEwen finished second on Dreamaway II (36.6). This eight-year-old Verdi gelding was bred in Co Sligo by Mattie Brennan and was first produced here on show jumping scene by Shane Quinn. Britain’s Gemma Tattersall, who was the only other rider to go clear within the time on Sunday, finished third on Chilli Knight whose total of 37.1 included four show jumping penalties.
“This was a very good run for OLS King Aragon who is now heading to Boekelo,” said Daniels of Kieran Connors and Michelle Nelson’s home-bred eight-year-old Samgemjee gelding. “I was lucky to get out before the rain, as it got greasy on top after that, but I was never going all out to get the time here, he can go fast in Boekelo! I was disappointed to have a fence down show jumping, but that phase caused plenty of problems.”
The only Irish rider to show-jump clear was England-based Aoife Clark with Celus d Ermac Z who then moved up from 19th after dressage to lie eighth overnight. However, she had a most frustrating round on Sunday, being chased by a dog on the early part of the course before her eight-year-old Zangersheide gelding lost one of his front shoes. This resulted in him slipping turning away from the middle element of fence 20 with Clark having to circle before jumping the third.