KILDARE’S Niall Talbot had a dream win in the three-star 1.50m Grand Prix at the Mediterranean Equestrian Tour in Oliva, Spain on Sunday, when he rode Charming Dream Z (Carrera VDL x Cagliostro 161) into the top spot from a start list of 59.
Just 10 combinations managed to keep all the poles intact first time out to make it through to the jump-off, where five did so for a second time. Talbot and his mount, a 10-year-old stallion that he owns, rode a steady clear in round one, but hit the accelerator second time out and were the only pair to break the 40-second barrier in the jump-off, stopping the clock in 39.40 seconds to claim the top spot and the €14,250 first prize.
Special
It was a poignant win for Talbot, based in Switzerland, who said: “I lost a very good friend, John Mulvey, this week. He was a very popular guy and a great horseman in Ireland and he passed away after a long illness on Tuesday. His funeral was on Friday, and it was special for me to get a win like this now. Today was for him, I think we maybe had a little help from above.
“I walked the jump-off course beforehand because there were some new jumps for it, and I just made my plan. The first line was from an oxer to a vertical with nine strides and, because my horse has a lot of stride, I knew I could get up there on eight. I think that’s probably where he won the class, in the first line where we left a stride out.
“He’s a horse we think a lot of,” Talbot said of his mount. “He’s been jumping at this level this year and all summer he’s been just kind of knocking on the door for a win. I’m delighted that we got one now this week at three-star Grand Prix level.”
Runner-up in the class was Bart Jay Junior Vandecasteele (BEL) on Vamos de La Pomme d’Or Z (40.10), with Germany’s Tomma Thiesen on Macklemore Von Der Soehr in third (40.26).
Niall Talbot and Charming Dream Z after winning the three-star 1.50m Grand Prix at Oliva in Spain
In the ribbons
Week two of the Autumn Mediterranean Equestrian Tour in Spain was held from December 2nd to 7th, with a number of Irish riders in attendance and bringing home ribbons.
Michelle Kenny on Olly and CFH Capri Hill and Emily Turkington on Tournee Generale Van’T Gelutt were among the joint winners in the 78-strong six-year-old 1.25m class on Tuesday, while the seven-year-old 1.35m class of 60 saw Kenny on HSC Renee and Alexander Butler on Si Belle JW Van’T Meulenhof in the list of winners.
On Wednesday, Butler and his mount finished as runners-up in the seven-year-old 1.35m jump-off class when double clear in a jump-off time of 38.85 - not far behind class winner Thiesen (GER) on Manuel Von Der Soehr, who clocked 38.73. Thiesen also placed third with Bert 74 (39.74). Kenny and HSC Renee placed seventh in 42.25.
Cameron Hanley and USA Special Force C finished ninth in the day’s 56-strong five-year-old 1.15m jump-off class when double clear in 43.00, with French winner Hugo Lemarchand on Pure Folie Z stopping the jump-off clock in 40.04. Hanley and his mount were fourth in the MET Young Horse Champions Trophy for five-year-olds, while Kenny and HSC Renee placed joint fourth in the seven-year-old equivalent, followed by Butler in joint eighth.
Thursday saw Butler and Django Hero Z finish seventh in the Gold 4 1.45m Grand Prix qualifier, which had 95 starters, while on Friday, Talbot and FTS Elliot placed fourth in the 79-strong Gold 4 1.45m Grand Prix qualifier.
Friday’s Silver 1 1.30m speed class saw Ella Kenny finish seventh of the 54 participants with Carrickadawson Womanizer, while she rode Ragazza Di Flamenco into third place in the Bronze 2 1.20m class.
On Sunday, Butler and Marchella TW finished fourth in the Gold 2 1.45m two-phase class of 80 starters to conclude the show for the Irish.