“IT was just amazing to get the job done!” a delighted Gemma Stevens (GBR) exclaimed when asked about her win on Flash Cooley in the Noel C Duggan Engineering CCI4*-L class at Millstreet International Horse Trials.

The combination have been in good form this spring with two wins at National level but a win at Millstreet and at this level had escaped them to date. “I feel like I’ve had a few second places in 4*-L classes and in particular on this horse here two years ago when we went into the show jumping in the lead but a silly pole down cost us and I was kicking myself!”

Flash Cooley, a 13-year-old gelding by CSF Mr Kroon (ISH) out of Castlefield Ruby (ISH) and bred by Jim O’Neill, impressed the ground jury of Angela Tucker (GBR), Beatrice Di Grazia (USA) and Joanne Jarden (IRL) scoring 26.4 in the dressage phase to lead the class from start to finish, only adding 1.2 time penalties on the cross-country course.

“I knew he was going to be competitive, he’s nippy which suited the twisty track as the horses needed to be fast and efficient around Mike Etherington Smith’s course. I’m hoping to get him to Boekelo at the end of the year but will see what happens between now and then.”

Marcio Jorge (BRA) and another Irish Sport Horse, Royal Encounter, were just over four marks behind Stevens after the first phase on a penalty score of 30.3.

Bred by Peter Rice, the gelding by Lancelot (KWPN) out of the ISH mare, Cavalier Lassie, Royal Encounter kept a clean jumping sheet throughout the weekend, adding just 3.6 time penalties on the cross-country course.

Italian Olympian Giovanni Ugolotti and Duke of Champions completed the podium, finishing in third on a score of 33.9. The highest placed Irish rider was Aoife Clark riding Full Monty de Lacense (SF) in fourth place on a score of 33.8 penalties.

Of the 19 starters in the class, 15 jumped clear but only Ugolotti and Clark managed to beat the clock. Placed third overnight after dressage, Laura Collett and Drumgivern Mr Charisma had an unfortunate 20 penalties late on the track to drop them down the leaderboard.