THE four-year-old class is a judged class and the top six combinations based over the two qualifying rounds moved forward to the Mo Chroí Championship final on Saturday evening at the EOS IT Solutions Arena. The criteria which the judge used is as follows: jumping technique natural ability 100 marks, 10 fences at 10 marks each, future potential 50 marks and rideability 50 marks which leads to a maximum total mark of 200 marks.

This year, the well-renowned Danish coach Bo Kristoffersen, a former international show jumping rider with decades of top-level experience, was the judge. Kristoffersen is known for developing both horses and riders to their highest potential. As chef d’equipe he has guided multiple teams at Nations Cups, Championships and the Olympics. Top international riders William Whittaker from Britain and Jos Verlooy from Belgium, both rode three of the finalists in the second round and helped Kristoffersen make his final decision. A high quality startlist ensured a thrilling contest and it was the two stallions who shone brightest in the Dublin sun, with Conor McMahon and Nightingale Sporthorses’ Serran De Bun coming out on top with an impressive score of 183 points with the standout mark being 49/50 for rideability.

A joy to ride

Jos Verlooy rode the Ard VDL Douglas stallion Serran De Bun in the second round and he remarked after the round: “Serran is a joy to ride; he is the type of horse that the only shame is that the round is over so soon, that’s why I jumped an extra fence! He rides more like a six-year-old than a four-year-old and I could see him in the international ring in the future.”

Winning rider Conor McMahon spoke to The Irish Field after the win. “I spotted Serran as a three-year-old last year and was very impressed with him,” he said. “When he came up for auction in October, my clients bought him from Tommy and Alan Considine and he has been a dream since we have had him.

“He was broken and riding so made our life easier. He has been very impressive this year, he has competed in three four-year-old classes this year and he has won all three. He won the four-year-old Youngster Cup at Garrenmore Equestrian in April, won the first qualifier for Dublin in May with the overall best score out of all the qualifiers and then went on to win Dublin itself. We are very excited for the future of Serran and believe he will turn out to be a top track horse.”

Runner-up

Edged into second was Coen Williams and the Williams Sport Horses-owned Alonso V Twelve Oaks Z who scored 180 points including an impressive 89/100 for jump. William Whittaker rode the Aganix Du Seigneur Z sired stallion in the second round and commented: “He reacted in a very positive way to knocking a warm up jump. His rideability is very good for his age and he is a very exciting prospect for the future.”

Adrian Williams told The Irish Field: “We think an awful lot of Alonso, he is a very good jumper and has been consistent this year winning the four-year-old championship at Mullingar earlier in the year. We competed the dam in the six-year-olds in the RDS in the past and when we found out she had a foal when she was three in Belgium, we looked him up, went over to Belgium and bought the then two-year-old Alonso V Twelve Oaks Z. We think he will be jumping the big courses in the big rings in the future.”

Completing the podium in third was Luana McCann riding the Bernie Pender-owned and bred gelding Madgeslane King to a high score of 175.5 points. Jos Verlooy commented after his round: “The horse has lots of potential, could be very special in the future. He is scopey, careful and has very good rideability.”

Norwegian rider Havard Dragset rode the only mare in the class, the Boleybawn Horses-owned Warande Van Het Netehof, into fourth place with a score of 170 points. Stephen Gibbons partnered Ruairi Gilvanny’s Jardonnay Vdl-sired gelding Manhatten Midnight Special into fifth and Darragh Ryan with his own and John Quinn’s gelding CDI Can’T Touch This taking sixth.

Course designers Aaron McCusker and Alan Lynch told The Irish Field: “Our job is to develop the horses so they can come back in future years; they are only young and developing so we try to keep it a nice easy flowing course. We took the atmosphere and the fact that the international riders are jumping the horses for the first time into designing the course, that’s why we gave a ground line at the fences to make them as welcoming as possible and to allow the horses to show off their ability.”