THE curtain fell on the 2025 Connaught Grand Prix League at the inaugural running of the Derryronane Stud charity show last Saturday, August 2nd. The final leg didn’t disappoint with the crowning of overall champions to be decided it came up with plenty of surprises before the day was out.

In the 1.10m league, sponsored by Flexineb, Clodagh Lee held off a strong challenge from Orla Dixon with two of her mounts. Lee, late to go in the final leg, needed a top six position on the day to hold on and win after many years of trying. She duly delivered a calculated round to deliver fourth place on the day and be crowned overall champion for 2025 with Erne Cruising Breeze. Orla Dixon was second and third with Prado Royale and Ravens Master Rolo.

In the 1.20m, sponsored by Sean Fleming Motors, again the competition was tight and to the wire. Coming into the final leg, Derek Shaw held a slender lead over Sven Hadley. Derek was in a fine vein of form, winning the 1.10m class on the day, but a costly rail in the 1.20m left the door open for Hadley, who managed to deliver the second place on the day and the all-important eight league points to get over the line with Maximum Numero Too HSH. Shaw was second with VMS Dallance Cruise and Hadley also finished third with HSH Harper De Seigneur. The six-year-old champion was Aoife McCabe and CBI Supremacy.

Fittingly, the final leg of the Derryronane Stud 1.35m Grand Prix league was held on the grounds of Derryronane Stud and again the leaderboard was tight and a result on the final day was always going to be required to get riders over the line.

The Tom Holden-designed track took no prisoners, with only two clear first rounds being delivered. Young Mayo rider Katie Nallon finished in first and second place on the day. The league finished with Galwayman Hadley and the seven-year-old Maximum Numero Too HSH taking the league by the narrowest of margins over Lee Carey and Luxity. Nallon finished third with CW Louboutin.

The next Connaught outing is for the Super Grand Prix for qualified riders at Glenamaddy Equestrian Centre on Saturday, August 16th.