GALWAY’S Michael Duffy started 2026 the way he means to go on, with a double of wins at the New Year show at Azelhof, Lier (January 15th-18th).

Duffy first won Friday’s Young Horse one-star seven and eight-year-old speed class from 87 starters riding Kimberly FZ. The pair jumped clear in 56.06 seconds to fend off the challenges of all other participants, with their closest contender being Belgian runner-up Pascale Haep on Macumba Sitte (57.43).

Duffy then went on to win the two-star 1.40m Final on Saturday with Divina. There were 72 participants in the class, of whom 20 jumped clear in the first round to book a place in the jump-off. A competitive second round ensued with 12 combinations keeping the poles intact to record double clear rounds. Duffy’s time of 34.96 was over two seconds faster than Belgian runner-up Jeroen Appelen on Gently Z, who broke the beams in 37.14.

Super start

Duffy had got off to a super start on Thursday, when he took the runner-up spot in the 88-strong Young Horse one-star seven and eight-year-old two-phase special on board Kimberley FZ, when jumping double clear in 26.68. Belgian winner Arno Boon on Sagan Van’T Bosveld finished less than half a second ahead in 26.25.

The day’s two-star 1.35m two-phase special was divided due to the large number of entries and the second division saw a 10th-place finish for Ireland’s Floortje Deckers on Quiktime Z, who jumped double clear in 33.50. Germany’s Katrin Eckermann on Viva Fly NRW won the class in 28.45.

Paraic Kenny and Chacoon Cherry PS placed fourth in the first division of the two-star 1.40m speed class when clear in 60.98, while the win went to Hans-Dieter Dreher (GER) on Jiniki (56.62).

Kenny also took fourth place in the second division of the class riding Ganele de Rie Z (61.36), with the win here going to Jeroen de Winter (BEL) on L’Innocence Van’T Meulenhof (58.93).

Olivia Ann Nell was on form in Friday’s one-star 1.10m two-phase special class, when she placed third with Carte d’Or SDW Z (35.80) and sixth with Cantorexa PS (36.97). Charlotte Berghmans (BEL) on So Easy KDW Z were the clear winners of the class, when stopping the clock in an incredibly fast time of 28.20.

Nell went on to place fourth in Saturday’s one-star 1.20m speed class with Carte d’Or SDW Z and also placed 10th in the day’s one-star 1.10m speed class with Cantorexa PS.

Nell was back on the scoreboard in Sunday’s one-star 1.10m two-phase special when she placed fourth with Cantorexa PS.