TYRONE’S Niamh McEvoy continued with her successful run of form over the weekend. Just a week on from making her Longines League Of Nations debut for Ireland in the Middle East, McEvoy rode the 12-year-old gelding Jargon DN to win Saturday’s four-star 1.45m Big Tour jump-off class at week three of the Andalucia Sunshine Tour at Vejer de la Frontera (February 17th to 22nd).
A total of 74 horses and riders lined out to contest the class, with 13 of them booking their place in the jump-off. Eight combinations maintained a clean sheet second time around, with McEvoy the fastest of these in a time of 35.61 seconds to claim victory. Nearest rival Matias Larocca (ARG) on Con Corrado 4 stopped the clock in 35.83 for second place, with Sameh El Dahan (GBR) on the 12-year-old mare WKD Balou Breeze (ISH) placing third in 36.08.
Speed win
Tuesday saw the young horses take centre stage, with the opening 77-strong first division of the one-star seven-year-old 1.40m speed class being won by Cathal Daniels on Tullibards Pandora (ISH). Marta Hughes-Bravo placed fourth with HHS Kildare (ISH), while Alexander Butler placing sixth and ninth on Think Nice DC Z and Clear Up PS respectively.
The first division of the day’s one-star six-year-old 1.25m two-phase special saw 70 starters, with Max Foley placing sixth on board HHS Private Ryan.
Matt Garrigan and Bella D were among the joint winners of the one-star five-year-old 1.15m Farewell class on Wednesday, while Foley rode HHS Texas (ISH) to win the one-star seven-year-old 1.35m Farewell class from a start list of 55.
Four-star classes commenced on Thursday, when the 1.50m Big Tour speed class saw McEvoy on Jargon DN finish fifth of the 71 on the start list.
On the podium
On Friday, there was a third-place finish for Kilkenny’s Susan Fitzpatrick on Guedelon Batilly in the 98-strong 1.45m Medium Tour two-phase class, in which 13 combinations jumped double clear, while Foley won the 51-strong 1.40m Small Tour speed class riding Sumas Knockout (ISH).
The one-star 1.45m eight-year-old final jump-off class saw Kevin Gallagher on Corleone K Z finish fifth of the 55 starters, while in the 30-strong one-star 1.45m eight-year-old Farewell class, Mark McAuley rode Illico des Rondets into third place.
Gallagher finished on the podium on Saturday, when third of 78 starters in the four-star 1.45m Small Tour two-phase special riding Saskia’s Boy. Max O’Reilly Hyland and Rock Warrior placed 10th in the class.
Foley then rode HHS Venice (ISH) into the runner-up berth in the four-star 1.35m Small Tour speed class, from 21 starters, when clocking 68.48 seconds. There was no catching Anda Elena Bojita (ROU) on Chocolate Brown, who rode a super-fast round in 60.84.
Sunday’s four-star 1.50m Medium Tour Grand Prix saw Fitzpatrick ride Guedelon Batilly into second place when double clear in 37.96, only being beaten by El Dahan on WKD Aimez Moi (ISH) (Je T’Aime Flamenco x My Honey Hill), whose time of 35.78 could not be caught. McEvoy rode another Irish Sport Horse, BP Rocket Man (Stakkato Gold x BP Quidy (ISH) by Quidam Junior I), into sixth place in the class of 83.
Sean Monaghan and Tiberio della Caccia were runners-up in the 60-strong four-star 1.45m Small Tour Grand Prix, finishing just behind Dutch winner Vincent Voorn on Eowyn de Goedereeds Z, while Nicholas Butler placed ninth with Ladycastle Paco and Foley was 10th on board Sumas Knockout.
Daniels and CDS Cappog Tomy finished ninth in the 1.55m Invitational Grand Prix Final, while McEvoy was third in the 1.45m Big Tour speed class on BP Goodfellas. Daniels was then runner-up in the one-star 1.25m jump-off class on Seapatrick Emerald, followed by Jennifer Kuehnle on Catharina Z in eighth.