MEATH’S Cian O’Connor rode the nine-year-old Genghis Khan, owned by Coolmore Showjumping, to win the two-star 1.45m Grand Prix qualifier at Sentower Park in Opglabbeek on Friday. From a start list of 71, just 10 combinations negotiated their way round the first-round course without penalty, with nine proceeding to the jump-off - including two Irish men.

O’Connor completed an impressive double clear in a jump-off time of 31.84, which was almost a second faster than Brazilian runner-up Andre Americo De Miranda on Hilfinger van de Zuuthoeve (32.75). The second Irish man in the jump-off was the Longines FEI Rising Star of 2025, Tom Wachman on Obora’s Laura, who picked up four faults in the jump-off to place seventh in the class.

On the podium

Ireland was well-represented at Sentower Park in Opglabbeek, Belgium at the end of last week with James Courtney Cadam getting the ball rolling with a second-place finish in the one-star 1.05m speed class on Wednesday evening riding DPS Dunkirk. Lucy Murtagh and Colui placed seventh in the class.

On Thursday, Thomas O’Brien on Mystique May finished fourth in the two-star 1.30m two-phase special class, which had 84 participants.

Courtney Cadam and DPS Dunkirk were runners-up again in the day’s one-star 1.05m two-phase special, with Murtagh and Colui finishing eighth.

Friday saw O’Brien place eighth with Dorle van de Lentamel in the one-star 1.25m speed class, while Floortje Deckers and Quiktime Z placed sixth in the two-star 1.35m two-phase special.

On Saturday, O’Brien and Dorle van de Lentamel placed fifth in the one-star 1.25m speed class, while the two-star 1.35m speed class saw Deckers and Quiktime Z finish sixth, followed by Gillian Bond on Kilmountain Saphira in 10th.

The day’s one-star 1.10m two-phase special saw Murtagh on Colui place 10th, while Isabel O’Brien and HHS Bambi finished ninth in the one-star Young Horse five and six-year-old 1.15m/1.25m speed class and Annie Courtney Cadam claimed the same position in the one-star Young Horse seven and eight-year-old 1.35m/1.40m jump-off class with LCC Dunard Lady Dominator.

Sunday’s two-star 1.40m two-phase special saw Thomas O’Brien ride Saint Vidal S into second place to finish off a successful show for the Irish.