New riders at Oakland Stables

DARRAGH Kenny’s Oakland Stables has seen an influx of riders join the team in recent weeks, with plenty of familiar Irish faces.

Offaly’s Kevin Mealiff has joined the Oakland team in America, where he will assisting with riding and training, and managing the sales programme. Kevin joins after spending a number of years as head rider at Maarten Huygens Horse Sales in Wellington, Florida, where he had plenty of success in the ring, including victory in a $50,000 Grand Prix at HITS Saugerties in New York and the $30,000 Grand Prix in Vermont last August.

Mealiff’s time in America has come full circle, after initially moving to work for Kenny in 2015.

Jordan Kilkenny has also joined the USA-based team, assisting as both a trainer and rider.

Kilkenny native Oisin Aylward has joined Kenny’s European base in The Netherlands, where he will ride some of the younger horses. Aylward made the move after a year at Barry O’Connor’s yard in Malahide. His victories with O’Connor include Spring Tour Grand Prix wins in Cavan and Barnadown with Syhoejegaards Hurrycane Dice, as well as winning the five-year-old ISH Studbook Series at Tattersalls aboard Madges Lane Emma and being selected for Lanaken.

New horse

Kenny has welcomed the talented nine-year-old stallion Chic Chic to his team. Owned by Vlock Show Stables and produced by Galway’s Stephen Moore since 2017, the Comme Il Faut-sired stallion has had top results at 1.50m level, including placing third in the two-star GCT Grand Prix in New York last September.

“I’m proud to have had the chance to produce this great horse and the results we achieved in the past three years. He has been special from day one,” Moore said of Chic Chic.