LOUTH’S Mark McAuley was on form in Italy over the weekend, when he competed a number of horses at the two-star fixture at Ornago and finished in the top 10 in multiple classes.

McAuley rode the six-year-old gelding Nevada into ninth place in the one-star Young Horse six-year-old 1.25m speed class on Thursday, when jumping clear in a time of 61.8. The class of 20 starters was won by Tamara Schnyder (SUI) on Okido TS in 57.75.

McAuley then rode Illico Des Rondets into sixth place in the day’s 75-strong two-star 1.30m two-phase special when clear in 31.65. Another Swiss rider, Debora Burgherr on Lisbonne De La Haie won the class just over a second ahead in 30.64.

There was another ninth place for McAuley in the two-star 1.35m speed class out of 62 starters, when he rode History of the AS clear in 56.77, less than three seconds off the pace of winner Mike Van Olst (BEL) on Miracle Odth Z, who finished in 54.11.

McAuley and Django Ste Hermelle placed sixth from a start list of 68 in the two-star 1.40m two-phase class, a qualifier for the two-star Big Tour Grand Prix, jumping clear in 26.04. The win here went to Portugal’s Rodrigo Sampaio Peixoto on Quiet Please 13 just over a second ahead in 24.96.

Friday saw McAuley and Nevada take fifth place out of 19 starters in the one-star Young Horse six-year-old 1.30m two-phase special class when clear in 29.84. Italy’s Livia Ferretti on Santa Marta Electric Power Station won the class in a time of 27.29.

On Saturday, McAuley and Nevada was back in the top 10 again, this time taking seventh place in the 17-strong one-star Young Horse six-year-old 1.30m jump-off class, when they were unfortunate to incur some faults. Giuseppe Felici (ITA) on Tampa Odeveld won the class when clear in 31.16.