LOUTH’S Mark McAuley enjoyed a successful weekend at the four-star show at Bourg en Bresse in France, with the highlight being a win in Saturday’s four-star Prix De La Region Auvergne Rhone-Alpes 1.50m jump-off class with the 13-year-old stallion L’Arc En Ciel Z. There were 58 starters in the class, with the best 13 of them earning the chance to jump again. Nine combinations kept all the poles intact in round two, with four recording double clear rounds.

McAuley’s second-round time of 39.61 was the fastest and he claimed the top prize of €7,500. Douglas Lindelow (SWE) on Hermosillo D’Aubigny took second in 40.29, with Bianca Babanitz (AUT) on Dakato in third (42.48). Tipperary’s Trevor Breen placed eighth in the class with Drewmain Musachino.

McAuley and L’Arc En Ciel Z had got off to a good start at the show, when placing seventh in Thursday’s four-star Prix E Leclerc Cap Emeraude 1.50m speed class. There were 66 starters, of whom 21 recorded clear rounds. McAuley and his mount finished clear in a time of 65.58, while the French winner Benoit Cernin on Dynamite Du Miral clocked 62.40, which proved unbeatable. Fellow French man Julien Epaillard rode Fringan De Vesquerie into second in 62.78, followed by Rik Hemeryck (BEL) on Navarro Van het Eelshof in third (64.41).

Friday’s two-star 1.60m Six-Bar class saw 16 combinations lining up to take on the challenge, 14 of them jumping clear over the starting height. The first jump-off saw the height go up to 1.75m, with 13 pairs keeping a clean sheet. The next round, at 1.85m, saw eight pairs remaining without fault, with Derry’s David Simpson on Pjotr Van De Kruishoeve among them, while the final round at 1.95m saw only French man Paul Lamotte jump clear with Gavroche Sauvage to take a home win, with Simpson in joint second place.