GEMMA Phelan landed the biggest win of her career to date when taking victory in the fourth round of the TRM and Horseware-sponsored New Heights Champions Series at the Galway County Show with Rory Costigan’s Loughnavatta Indigo.
The Galway County Show committee made the tough decision to move the show jumping from its original venue at the Galway Racecourse in Ballybrit to the Duffy’s Equestrian Centre in Claregalway due to ground conditions, and were rewarded for doing so as a huge crowd turned out to watch the feature class of the weekend in glorious weather.
Phelan, who travelled from Co Waterford, beat nine combinations in the jump-off to land her very first 1.50m Grand Prix and collect €3,000 in prize money.
A delighted Phelan said afterwards: “This is a first for the horse and the first for me. He’s only stepping up to this level now. He’s an eight-year-old, Rory Costigan bred him and owns him so it’s a great credit to him that he has kept him on and supported me and supported the game.
DELIGHTED
“I’m delighted for the horse because he has been a little bit unlucky the last few times and he deserves a big day. He is so careful and tries so hard. He’s just brilliant.
“Coming into the jump-off I just said I would try and keep a good rhythm up and let him flow on the whole way around because he covers massive ground when you let him do that.
“It’s a lot easier for him to take a stride out then to add in, so it just suited him the way it worked out, and we had a good flier to the last. I just kept coming and there was a nice one there, it was no problem to him.”
She added: “He will jump a couple more of these New Heights classes and see how he gets on because he needs the experience. He didn’t ever jump as a young horse, so he is kind of a late starter, so we will do the next few and go from there. He was a bit unlucky in the Dublin qualifiers, he was in the jump-off and missed out by a couple of places so it would be lovely if he got into Dublin but we will see what happens.”
Ten of the 28 starters jumped clear over Tommy Gibbons’ strong first round track. Back on home turf for his local show after a successful day at the Dublin Horse Show qualifier on Wednesday, British-based Michael Duffy was double-handed in the jump-off, and was joined by Mullingar winner Clem McMahon and seven other strong combinations.
Francis Connors set the standard when second into the arena with Hugh Fitzpatrick’s Erne Ladygoldilocks, breaking the beam in 39.74 seconds, which was eventually good enough for fifth place.
Duffy, with the first of his Lady Georgina Forbes-owned mounts, Castleforbes Vladimir, who finished third in Saturday’s 1.40m, was the first to chance the inside turn after the double, but faulted at the penultimate fence in a time of 37.68 for sixth.
FOOT PERfect
Winner of the leg at Mullingar International two weeks ago with Aldaluck, Clem McMahon was next and produced a foot-perfect round with his own home-bred Hilton CMS Paparazzi in 35.28. The round almost looked good enough to secure back-to-back wins but the Monaghan rider had to settle for second on the day.
Next in, Cormac Rafferty was unable to emulate his double clear from the previous day and had one fence on the floor with KMR Benzini (0/4 38.27) to finish eighth. Kilkenny’s Vincent Byrne gave the time a great go with Martin Walsh’s lovely stallion Hannibal V Overis Z to finish in fourth place in 36.47.
Fourth last into the arena, Phelan, the underdog of the competition, set off with a quick rhythm and the deceptively fast Loughnavatta Indigo produced a superb jumping round, with a good gallop to the final wall, stopping the clock in 35.11, .17 seconds faster than McMahon.
She had an anxious wait as the final three combinations all tried to better her time. Duffy, with Castleforbes Violette, came closest to knocking Phelan off the top spot, and he was the only other rider to finish clear within the 35 second mark in 35.95.
Greg Broderick, who was away competing at Bolesworth International Horse Show continues to head the leaderboard with Charmeur, on a total of 20 points. The next leg of the New Heights Champions Series takes place at Omagh Show in Co Tyrone on July 1st.
NEW HEIGHTS CHAMPIONS SERIES – GALWAY
1. Gemma Phelan Loughnavatta Indigo 0/0 35.11
2. Clean McMahon Hilton CMS Paparazzi 0/ 0 35.28
3. Michael Duffy Castleforbes Violette 0/0 35.95
4. Vincent Byrne Hannibal V Overis Z 0/0 36.47
5. Francis Connors ERNE Ladygoldilocks 0/ 0 39.74
6. Michael Duffy Castleforbes Vladimir 0/4 37.68
7. Stacey Babes Camillo VDL 0/4 38.24
8. Cormac Rafferty KMR Benzini 0/4 38.27