THE Northern Indoor Championships proved to be a profitable outing for Dermott Lennon as he claimed the Irish Masters and the Eglinton Grand Prix with the Bronte Stables-owned Millview Cicero, claiming the winner’s share of the £3,000 in each of the feature classes.
Speaking afterwards, Lennon said; “Eglinton is an old favourite for me. The people are so friendly and the atmosphere is electric. The arena for the horses is great as they have to answer different questions, and this is good for them.”
Regarding the Masters, he added: “It’s a great class and a real crowd-pleasing class. The arena in Eglinton is well suited to it, as the crowd really get into it.”
The Masters started with 23 entries and the first round is a 1.35m speed class. This is then reduced to the top eight combinations for the next round with the fastest going last. The course is then reduced to six fences with each rider who is in that round being allowed to choose one fence to put up for his or her horse. It went to four rounds on the night, with the height going to 1.60m.
“I was really happy with Millview Cicero. I have been riding him from the age of five and he has moved up nicely with some good results. I wasn’t in the internationals in Dublin, so Jordan Coyle borrowed him, and they clocked up some good results, which included the Speed Stakes. He also took him to Hickstead and he finished eighth there in the 1.45m. The plan now is to travel to the Sunshine Tour and hopefully bring home a few more results.”
Millview Cicero was bred by Harry Marshall and is an 11-year-old gelding by Cicero van Paemel and is out of the Oklund-sired dam, Royal Dutch.
On Saturday evening, the seats were full to capacity as 23 riders lined out in a bid to claim the Irish Masters, which was sponsored by the Eglinton Equestrian Club and supported by Bob Sweeney Equine Ltd, Roxborough Ground Improvements Ltd, Agon Ltd and LCC Show jumping. Claiming the 2025 class was Dermott Lennon with Millview Cicero. Taking the runner-up spot was Shane Treanor aboard Sean Jordan’s seven-year-old Nikittaire Van’T Oosterzand. Occupying third place was Katie Nallon and the Bob Sweeney-owned seven-year-old Carnlea Flamenco. No stranger to success at this show, Jonathan Smyth and Crystal Graf took fourth, while in fifth was young rider, Cara McFadden and Genitus Pommex Z. Completing the top six line-up was Sven Hadley and Paul Carberry’s Brandonview First Edition.
Doubling down
On Sunday, Lennon recorded his second win of the show, taking the honours in the Eglinton Grand Prix. A total of 17 competitors took to the arena, but it was Dermott Lennon and young rider Ben Walsh who dominated the class, sharing all of the top five placings between them. Lennon came out on top when he delivered a clear with the Bronte Stables-owned Millview Cicero, in a time of 30.04.
In a great display of horsemanship, Ben Walsh accounted for the next three placings. The young rider delivered his best result with Ronan McLaughlin’s seven-year-old Creamcorde Hdh (Cream on Top x Kyana Hdh), when clear in 31.41 seconds for second. He then took third place with McLaughlin’s eight-year-old, Zenith Vd Donkhoeve Z (Zirocco Blue Vdl x Johanna V/D Donkhoeve), when clear in 31.58. He completed the hat-trick with Adastra Milo (Toland x Adastra Lady Parnell), when clear in 31.75 for eventual fourth place. Dermott Lennon took another share of the prize fund, when he delivered a clear with his own and Gerry Marron’s Kinmar Right On Time, in 32.33. Bred by Marron, this gelding is by Aganix Di Seigneur and out of Kinmar Dancing Queen. Katie Nallon proved that the time could be beaten when she clocked 29.93 with Tara Brandon’s and Gabriel Slattery’s Cw Luiboutain (Luidam x Captain Beauty), but four faults saw her take sixth. Nallon also took seventh with Seamus Heverin’s home-bred eight-year-old Mvs Celtic Emperor (Celtic Hero Z Vitae Lux), finishing on four faults in 30.68.