CSI5*-W Stuttgart

Flynn runner-up in Germany amid many Irish placings

IRISH pony rider Charlie Flynn provided the best result for Ireland at Stuttgart over the weekend in the FEI Jumping Ponies’ Trophy 1.35m jump-off class on Saturday. Flynn and the 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare HK Zena, bred by Ennisnag Stud, finished as runners-up in a hotly-contested class.

From a start list of 18, there were 11 who jumped clear in the first round to secure their place in the jump-off, where six managed to keep the fences standing for a second time.

Flynn’s jump-off time of 34.61 was just over a second behind the winner, Lieselot Kooremans (NED) on Elando van de Roshoeve (33.78). Lily Tunney and Fireman finished just outside the top 10 in 11th place.

Flynn now sits in eighth place in the provisional standings after the third leg in Stuttgart.

Placings

The Stuttgart German Masters fixture took place from November 12th until 16th, with Denis Lynch securing a top 10 finish in Thursday’s five-star 1.45m two-phase class on board Zensation 2, when they jumped double clear in a second-phase time of 30.40 for 10th place. Of the 47 starters in the class, 28 jumped clear in the first phase and got the chance to jump again, with 13 of them completing double clear rounds. The class was won by Germany’s Daniel Deusser riding Bingo Ste Hermelle who stopped the clock in 26.08.

Jessica Burke and her reliable partner Express Trend (ISH) got on the scoreboard in Saturday’s five-star 1.45m speed and handiness competition, when they kept all the poles intact in a time of 61.53 to finish seventh. The winner was Switzerland’s Barbara Schnieper on Judy KM in a very fast 56.18.

Sunday’s highlight at the German show was the 1.60m Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Grand Prix of Stuttgart, which saw 40 combinations go to post. A tough track saw only seven managing to jump clear within the allocated time - with Lynch among those who picked up time penalties. He and Chicago collected three faults which put them in 10th place at the finish. The class was won by Willem Greve (NED) on Pretty Woman van’t Paradijs NOP with a double clear round in a jump-off time of 44.62.