DERRY’S David Simpson finished as runner-up in the four-star 1.55m Al Shira’aa Grand Prix at Bolesworth International on Saturday, riding Pjotr van de Kruishoeve to a double clear round in 42.55. Jack Whitaker (GBR) rode D&H Valmy de la Lande to finish less than a second faster to take the win in 41.64, while fellow British rider Holly Smith on Nike van het Singraven completed the podium in third (42.68). Cork’s Billy Twomey rode Ace of Hearts into fourth place when double clear in 43.56.

“Every time I’m about to win something, a Whitaker appears!” Simpson joked afterwards, but paid tribute to both his horse and his team. “I’ve owned Pjotr since he was a two-year-old and he’s been an incredible soldier. None of this happens without the team around me and I’m so grateful for everything they do.”

Super jumping

Week two of the Al Shira’aa Bolesworth International ran over the weekend and saw some more super show jumping from the Irish contingent.

Thursday began with an Amateur 1.05m speed class and a seventh-place finish for Padraig Fives on Mermus R Russel, while in the one-star seven-year-old 1.30m speed class, there were two Irish on the podium when Shane Breen rode Bollerup Gloria into second place and Aidan O’Brien was third on Baskin Centerfold.

Four-star action got underway in the International Arena with the 1.50m Grand Prix qualifier, which saw Billy Twomey ride Ace of Hearts Z into the runner-up spot. From 47 starters, there were only four clear first rounds and only the winner, Holly Smith (GBR) on Nike van het Singraven, managed to remain clear in the jump-off, clocking a time of 39.70. Twomey beat that time, finishing in 39.43, but picked up an unfortunate four faults along the way and had to be content with second place. Simpson placed eighth in the class with Pjotr van de Kruishoeve.

The day’s four-star 1.40m two-phase class saw Adam Morgan place ninth with Carrickview Clarissa, ahead of Seamus Hughes Kennedy on HK Fury in 10th.

Meanwhile, in the Castle Arena, Sven Hadley won the four-star 1.30m speed class on board Maximum Numero Too HSH, with Lt Michaeli Byrne on the Irish Sport Horse mare LVS Galtee in third. Aisling Byrne and Supreme Action placed ninth in the Amateur 1.15m speed class, while Morgan on Cabago Wy Z and O’Brien on Disco Music Z were among the clear rounds in the one-star five-year-old 1.10m class and Hughes Kennedy rode Cava into 10th place in the Under-25 1.35m speed class.

Another win

Hadley took another win, this time in the one-star 1.25m speed class with the Irish Sport Horse stallion Machnus Lux to conclude a successful day.

On Friday, Morgan and O’Brien repeated their clear rounds with Cabago Wy Z and Disco Music Z respectively in the day’s one-star five-year-old 1.10m class, while Aisling Byrne and Supreme Action finished on the podium in the Amateur 1.15m jump-off class.

The four-star 1.50m Grand Prix qualifier saw Guy Williams (GBR) ride the 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare BH Gringos Legacy (Tullibards Bennys Legacy x Colourfield), bred by Kieran Phelan in Laois, into first place. The day’s Under-25 1.35m qualifier saw Jill Greene place fifth on board the Irish Sport Horse mare Clarehall Kannan Law (Kannan x Touchdown).

The four-star 1.35m jump-off class saw Greene ride Indigo Blue into fifth place, followed by Lt Byrne on LVS Galtee in sixth and Hadley on Elka de la Pomme in 10th.

In the one-star 1.30m speed class, Sean Monaghan on CSF Despardo (ISH) placed fourth, Olivia Ann Nell on Irish Coffee placed sixth, Abby Morton on Blueoak Legaland was eighth and Hadley on Kannan Contessa was ninth.

Hadley won the one-star six-year-old 1.20m two-phase special class with Chipmunk BC Z, with Kate Derwin in fourth on Fuerty Roc and Isabel O’Brien in fifth on HHS Private Ryan.

There was another Irish win in the four-star 1.40m speed class, when Peter Moloney took first place with Nielson, while Hadley also finished on the podium in third with Maximum Numero Too HSH. Tabitha Kyle on Loughton Diamond took eighth and Edward Doyle Jnr on PHS Livin It Up was ninth in the class.

In the Amateur 1.05m two-phase class, Aisling Byrne on Corta LVP Z placed seventh and Fives on Mermus R Russel was ninth. The Pony 1.25m two-phase class saw Chantal Whitehead ride Alonsa into fourth place.

Saturday’s Amateur 1.05m final saw Kyla Grieve on Luna finish fourth, with Ciara Ryan third in the Amateur 1.15m two-phase final riding Isla Flight (ISH).

Hughes Kennedy on Cava were runners-up in the Under-25 1.40m Final, with Greene taking fifth with Clarehall Kannan Law (ISH). The one-star 1.25m Ride and Drive class saw Morton on Blueoak Legaland (ISH) place seventh and Hadley on HSH Harper du Seigneur (ISH) was eighth.

O’Brien and Baskin Centerfold won Saturday’s one-star seven-year-old 1.30m speed class, with Breen on Bollerup Gloria in fifth and Ryan on Phenominee Fd Z in sixth, while in the six-year-old 1.20m two-phase, Derwin on Fuerty Roc placed third, ahead of Anthony Condon on SFS Dodged ‘Em in fifth and Twomey on Creevyquinn Thomascourt in sixth.

Irish one-two

Meanwhile, Whitehead on Alonsa finished as runners-up in the Pony 1.30m speed class and there was an Irish one-two in the one-star 1.30m two-phase class, with Trevor Breen on Drewmain Meira in first and Hadley on Kannan Contessa in second. The Under-25 1.35m Consolation speed class saw Oisin Dillon on Ballybeg Loui place third, with Isabel O’Brien on Starfield Brighteye in ninth and Chloe Hughes Kennedy on Garande in 10th.

Sunday’s one-star seven-year-old 1.35m final jump-off class saw Twomey on Be Revenna in fifth place, Monaghan on Champagne BW in sixth and Aidan O’Brien on Baskin Centerfold in eighth.

The day’s Pony 1.35m final jump-off saw Whitehead and Alonsa finish eighth, while the Mini Major 80cm/1.25m class saw Morton on Blueoak Legaland in second place, Hadley on Machnus Lux in sixth and Jacqueline Malone on Ramako Vd Berghoeve in 10th.

Trevor Breen rode Drewmain Musachino into second place in the four-star 1.45m jump-off class, with Moloney on Nielson in seventh, while the 1.35m two-phase saw Monaghan on Roger de Mariposa in second, Shane Breen on Jumping Star SL in third and Hadley on Elka de la Pomme in seventh.

Morgan on Cabago Wy Z was among the joint winners in the one-star five-year-old 1.15m final jump-off class and, in the six-year-old 1.25m final jump-off, Condon was runner-up with SFS Dodged ‘Em, with Twomey on Creevyquinn Thomascourt in sixth place.

Trevor Breen on Drewmain Meira were sixth in the one-star 1.35m final jump-off class, while in the 1.30m jump-off class, Isabel O’Brien on Thomascourt Victor came seventh, Chloe Fenton on HHS Javas GF was eighth and Nell on Pepita de Muze was ninth.

As another successful show concluded, Managing Director Nina Barbour said: “As we bring another incredible Al Shira’aa Bolesworth International to a close, I’d like to thank every rider, owner, groom, official, volunteer, sponsor, member of our team and, of course, our fantastic spectators, who have made the past two weeks so special. Events like this simply couldn’t happen without the dedication and passion of so many people working behind the scenes.”