WEEK three of the Spring Mediterranean Equestrian Tour saw a number of Irish riders competing, with several registering successes at Oliva last week.
The highlight of the results was in the 1.50m Grand Prix on Sunday, which saw Clem McMahon ride the nine-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare Carneyhaugh Unison (Cornet Obolensky x Don Juan de La Bouverie), bred by Patrick Breen in Co Down, into fourth place from a start list of 50. McMahon and his mount were among nine combinations to jump double clear and did so in a jump-off time of 35.65 seconds to finish just off the podium. The class was won by Julien Epaillard (FRA) on Hard’Rock Queen Hjd in a very fast time of 32.78.
In Tuesday’s six-year-old 1.25m class, Harold Megahey and McMahon each had three horses jumping clear rounds, while in the seven-year-old 1.35m class, McMahon was joined by Trevor Breen on two mounts, Jack Murphy and Francis Connors. In the five-year-old 1.15m class, Alisha Vard on Romai and Johnathan McDonnell on Monet were among the joint winners.
Wednesday started well for Megahey, who won the six-year-old final 1.30m jump-off class riding High5Louis DM Z, with McMahon in seventh on Killybrick Celebration and in ninth with Mullaghdrin Farargo. Breen then placed eighth in the seven-year-old final 1.40m jump-off class on board MGH Prima Ballerina.
In the MET Young Horse Champions Trophy for six-year-olds, Megahey placed third with Quel Honneur vh Distelhof Z and McMahon finished 10th with Killybrick Celebration, while in the equivalent for seven-year-olds, McMahon took a podium place in third with Orion and Breen was joint fourth riding MGH Prima Ballerina; McMahon also placed joint ninth with TJM Azumi Fujita.
Joint win
McDonnell on Monet and Vard on Romai were both among the joint winners in Thursday’s five-year-old 1.15m class, while in the Silver 2 1.35m two-phase class Francis Connors was runner-up riding Martello Chapella. Connors then placed sixth in the Gold 3 1.40m two-phase with Carrigshawn Vendi Royal.
The Gold 1 1.30m class saw Connors take two top-10 placings, when finishing on the podium in third with LCC Lui Two, as well as eighth with S Contempo.
The day’s Silver 1 1.25m class saw Megahey ride Curacao d’Elsendam Z into seventh place, while in the seven-year-old 1.35m two-phase special, McMahon placed third and seventh with TJM Azumi Fujita and Orion respectively.
On Friday, the Gold 4 1.50m Grand Prix qualifier saw Breen place ninth on Drewmain Musachino, while the Gold 3 1.40m class saw McMahon finish sixth on board Charlton S Z. Anna Duff placed fifth in the Silver 2 1.40m class on board TMS Pienaar.
In Saturday’s Gold 1 1.30m two-phase class, Connors was runner-up with LCC Lui Two, while the Final Gold 3 1.45m jump-off class saw Duff finish third on the 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding MC Crosskeys, bred by Matthew McBreen, and Francis Connors was fourth on the 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare Carrigshawn Vendi Royal, bred by Jack Warner. The class was won by Janne Friederike Meyer-Zimmermann (GER) riding Katrien. Connors then rode Newmarket Darsouilles into ninth place in the Gold 2 1.40m class.
Jenny Connors took the top spot in the Bronze 3 1.30m Accumulator class on board Fortnight, when they proved best of the 71 participants. In the Bronze Tour Final 1.40m jump-off class, Ruby Lily Gaines placed fifth riding Royal Cornet MRO.
The show concluded on a positive note for the Irish on Sunday, with five in the top 10 of the Gold 1 1.30m class. Francis Connors placed fourth on LCC Lui Two and seventh on S Contempo, Floortje Deckers placed sixth on Quiktime Z, Duff was ninth on Diara-Senta PS and Breen rode Drewmain Meira into 10th.