THERE was an Irish one-two-three in the final of the Elliott Group seven-and eight-year-old championships in the Main Arena at the Dublin Horse Show last Sunday morning.
German-based Wexford rider Bertram Allen and the seven-year-old Next Cornet dominated when taking first place in a strong field of 28 starters, who had earned their place in the final over two classes held on Wednesday and Friday.
By Cornet Obolensky out of KTO Verdi, by Verdi TN, the Dutch-bred gelding is owned by Allen’s Aloga Stables. The Aloga brand was well represented at the RDS venue with sponsorship of the riders’ stand in the pocket area, coffee and treats for the grooms at the international stables and, perhaps most clever of all, large stacks of carrots around the grounds for the horses.
The duo produced the first double clear round as sixth to go in the 10-way jump-off, stopping the clock at 39.06. Cian O’Connor and Susan Magnier’s eight-year-old German-bred gelding Pegasus came closest to catching them, breaking the beam in 39.87 for the runner-up spot.
Mikey Pender and the Hughes/Bravo-owned stallion HHS Flonix (Aganix du Seigneur x Clover Echo) took third as the only other double clear round in 40.13.
Another rider from the Karlswood Stables, Denmark’s Karoline Sloth Kjær and Jump The Gun (I’m Special de Muze x Master Imp), bred by Ann Connors, finished in fourth place as the fastest four falter.
Switzerland’s Bryan Balsiger and the German-bred mare Psg Di Jane (Diacontinus x Landjonker) were fifth in 39.75, while Max O’Reilly Hyland and his own Dutch-bred stallion Netflix VK (VDL Zirocco Blue x Indoctro) completed the top six.
Owners of the winning mount, Aloga Stables, were awarded the John Higgens Memorial Perpetual Challenge Trophy, while Allen received the Corry trophy as the winning rider.
Qualifiers
Wednesday’s first international qualifying class was won by Niamh McEvoy riding the Ballypatrick-owned gelding Daliradas Boy (Cornet’s Prinz x Diarado) bred by Newberry E Wilson. The pair recorded a time of 29.25 in the two-phase competition to secure the win.
McEvoy also took second place, this time riding Andrew Thompson’s Cold Play (Casallo Z x Chin Chin) 29.66. Mikey Pender and Marion Hughes’ HHS Othello (Siec Livello x Vigo d’Arsouilles Stx), bred by Eoin Brennan, took third in 30.23, while Holland’s Willem Greve and the French stallion Party In de Hus (Kannan x Coriano) were fourth in 30.32.
Conor McMahon and David Blake’s Billy Raindrop (Plot Blue x Cevin Z) took fifth in 30.40, while Emma O’Dwyer rode her own Dougie Drea into sixth place.
The second international qualifier on Friday was won by Kilkenny’s Molly Hughes Bravo who rides under the Portuguese flag, representing the country of her father, Miguel Bravo.
Riding the Bravo/Hughes-owned and bred HHS Mercedes (Can Ya Makan x Couletto), she scored the winning time of 65.51. Runner-up was Bertram Allen and Next Cornet in 65.87, while third went to Niamh McEvoy riding Cold Play S Z in 66.90.
Mikey Pender rode HHS Othello into fourth in 67.68 while American Lucy Davis Kennedy and Old Oak Farm’s Dutch-bred Carlin (Gaspahr x Entertainer) slotted into fifth in 67.86.
Ireland’s Kian Dore rode his father Carl’s French-bred gelding Helsinki (Calvaro x Windows vh Costersveld) into sixth in 68.20.