IRISH riders claimed their fair share of ribbons at week three of the three-star Autumn Mediterranean Equestrian Tour at Oliva in Spain last week, with a number of wins, as well as several placings.
Friday was a good day for the Irish and saw Tipperary’s Max Wachman triumph in the 1.50m Gold 4 Grand Prix qualifier with the 13-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare GRS Lady Amaro (Amaretto Darco x Legal Lady by Over The River), bred by Denis Hickey, when fastest of 11 clear rounds in the 58-strong class. The pair finished in 61.42 seconds, almost a second ahead of runner-up Lars Kerston (NED) on Cascalino 7 (62.30).
Kildare’s Niall Talbot took victory in the day’s 1.45m Final Gold 3 Jump-off with the 17-year-old stallion FTS Elliot, when they were best of four double clear rounds from 68 starters in a jump-off time of 35.67. Mariano Martinez Bastida (ESP) and Bacardi O did their best, but stopped the clock in 36.04 for second.
Then on Saturday, Howley and the 15-year-old stallion Caprice d’Elle won the 1.45m Gold 2 two-phase class from a start list of 71. Thirty pairs jumped clear in round one, with 21 of them doing so again. Howley’s time of 28.03 was fastest, being more than a second and a half ahead of his nearest rival.
In the ribbons
The young horse classes saw numerous successes for Irish riders, with Jenny Rankin scoring with the five-year-old Viktor and the six-year-olds Rozel Tiger King and T-Rex V&V Z, while Peter Moloney did so with five-year Badarco and seven-year-old Osaka Q.
Richard Howley won the seven-year-old 1.40m jump-off class with Turkish Delight OS, with Moloney and Osaka Q taking second in the MET Young Horse Champions Trophy for seven-year-olds, with Howley and Turkish Delight OS joint sixth.
On Thursday, Moloney was a joint winner in the day’s five-year-old 1.15m class on Badarco.
The Gold 4 1.45m Grand Prix qualifier saw Galway’s Lt Raphael Lee take the runner-up spot on Derrycush (ISH) (Emerald Van’t Ruytershof x ISHD Caldato by Aldato), bred by Alfie Hillen, from a start list of 61, when they clocked 64.70 in the speed class – only being beaten by Laura Renwick (GBR) and NFS Top Gun in 64.19. Meanwhile, Moloney on Osaka Q placed fifth in the day’s seven-year-old 1.35m two-phase special class.
Friday saw Maria Ryan and Sting VH Ruytinxbos take a podium place when third in the 1.10m Bronze 1 class, while Lorraine Younge on Belfieldflight won the 1.20m Bronze 2 class.
On Saturday, Lauren Devine won the 1.40m Bronze Tour final with Inedit des Hayes, with the rider then taking second place in the 1.30m Bronze 3 Accumulator riding YP van de Jolene.
Younge and Little Miss Russel took second place in the 1.10m Bronze 1 class and also placed second in the 1.20m Bronze 2 two-phase special class with Adieu Flight, ahead of Kyle McLaughlin on Fernanda 22 in fifth.
Sunday’s classes were cancelled due to a red weather alert in the area.