ALEX Finney collected her first Grand Prix win of 2026 when she guided MHS Style to victory in the TRM Show Jumpers Club Spring Tour 1.35m at Kernan’s last Sunday.
An experienced rider at the tender age of 22, Alex is no stranger to the winner’s enclosure, with decent results with both horse and ponies in Balmoral, Dublin, Millstreet and Lanaken over the years.
Owned by Jean Finney, MHS Style boasts an impressive pedigree. Bred by the late Ita Brennan, she is an 11-year-old by Kannan out of MHS Lady Guidam, by Guidam.
Speaking after her win, Alex told The Irish Field: “We are delighted with the win. This is her first show back this year and she feels great.
“I am taking my final exams in university at the end of April, so I have been kind of keeping the horses slow until then, so I hope to pick the pace up after and am aiming for Balmoral, but it’s very competitive to get into, so we’ll have to wait and see.
“I am studying Business Economics and, when I’m finished, I’m hoping to be able to take some time to focus on the horses.
“I’m very lucky that I have a few really nice young ones in addition to the three, MHS Style, Absolutely Kingmar Z (Agamox Du Seigneur x Radco D’Houtveld) and Newberry Cleverleaf (Non Stop x Gold De Becourt) that I have for the bigger classes.
“Hopefully, we will be able to fit a few more rounds of the spring league in, but at the moment I’m primarily focused on my exams. My sister is getting married this summer, so that will take up time too.
“She’s very quick over the fence and I am able to do tight lines everywhere, so I think that’s how I made up the time.
“I saw Ruari’s (Clarke) round, so I knew what I had to do. I had a good draw, I was fairly close to the end and I know my horse well. I’ve been riding her since she was six years old, so I can trust her.”
Six double clears
A start list of 25 was quickly reduced to 11 for the jump-off. Of the 11, just six managed to keep all the poles in place through the decider.
Young rider Aidan O’Brien was pathfinder aboard Daniel Coyle’s stallion Gisborne VDL (Zirocco Blue VDL x Goodtimes). They stopped the clock clear in 37.67 to stay just inside the placings in sixth.
Next to go was Jonathan Smyth riding Grace Cornyn’s nine-year-old mare Louieland (Cavalier Land x Luidam), which was bred by Elaine Cadam. They were unlucky to have two on the ground, which left them out of the placings.
Lt Raphael Lee and the Minister For Defence’s Derrycush (Emerald Van’t Ruytershof x Aldato), bred by Alfie Hillen, added their names to the top six, when they were clear in 37.41 for fifth place.
Fellow army rider Lt Ruari Clarke and the Minister’s Kilrue (Balou Du Rouet x Beach Ball), bred by Stacey Babes, decided to withdraw, taking their names out of the line-up.
Cantara 115 (Cantolar x Lancado), owned and ridden by Kyle McLaughlin, didn’t have the best day. Another from the army equitation school, Lt Ruari Clarke rode the Minister’s 11-year-old gelding Bonmahon Beach (Emerald Van’t Ruytershof x Temple Clover) to an impressive clear as the next to go, stopping the clock at 34.52 to capture a temporary lead.
Rockmount Farm’s L’Esprit Hero Z, ridden by Harrison Blair, was next to have a go. They too left all the fences intact, but were just slightly slower in 35.41 for eventual third place.
Finney went next. Having had a chance to watch a few go, she was aware of where the time could be made up.
She started at pace and took every corner as tight as she could, resulting in a time of 34.20 to take the lead.
Lt Raphael Lee and his second mount, the Laura Glynn-bred Killossery Kilshane (Peppermill x Cruising) managed to post a second clear in 37.31 for fourth place.
The penultimate pair in, Sean Kavanagh aboard his home-bred gelding Brendan and Pauline Finlay’s Castlebridge Logan (Tolan R x Thunder Van De Zuuthoeve), had a single fence down, while last to go Niamh O’Connor Barry and her own Paul Dillon-bred gelding Drumiller Vegas (Cardento x Rockhill Clover) had two down for eight faults.
The next round of the Spring league takes place tomorrow in Tipperary Equestrian.