JONATHAN Smyth dominated the second round of the 1.40m TopSpec Autumn Grand Prix taking first and second place aboard Crystal Tom and Mulvin Lui at Mullingar Equestrian Centre last Sunday.
Half of the 26-strong start list produced first round clears over the Seamus Casey-designed track to progress to the timed decider over a shortened course.
Smyth proved fastest of these producing a jump-off time of 49.12 aboard Ann Doherty’s Crystal Tom, a nine-year-old gelding by Silvano out of the Graf Magna mare Lady Graf to secure the victory.
Speaking after the win, the Strabane man said: “I’m delighted with the win. When I walked the track, I thought it was quite strong and big but fair, I didn’t think there would be too many clears, but actually it rode really well and I think about 13 or so managed to make it into the jump-off.
“I’ve had Tom (Crystal Tom) since he was a four-year-old. He was bred by his owner Ann’s husband Anthony who sadly passed away last year, I’ve had a few nice horses that he bred over the years.
“This was his first win at 1.40m level. He won five Ulster region 1.35m classes in the run up to this so he is progressing nicely.
“He was injured at the start of last year so he was off for a while but he seems to have caught up with the other horses his age now.
“He is a really, really nice horse to ride. He is 17.2hh but he doesn’t really ride like a very big horse. He is very good in front, he uses his shoulder well and is very quick over the ground. You can ask him to speed up and he finds it easy to stay balanced and change gear, he has a forward way of going.
“The plan now is to go to Cavan this weekend and certainly do a few more of the Autumn league. I want to do the 1.40m National Grand Prix league with him and then hopefully we can move up to the New Heights 1.50m competitions in the summer.
“I am hoping to get away to a few shows abroad at the back end of the year with a few of my horses and I think this would be a good experience for him,” said Smyth.
Good outing
Of the 13 combinations that made it into the jump-off, four had two fences down for eight faults. This included Smyth and the first of his trio in the decider, Charlton Clio.
Five returned a score of four faults. Thomas O’Brien and Miss Darco proving fastest of these for eventual fifth place in the final line-up.
Smyth took the runner-up spot on another nine-year-old gelding, Roy Craig and Noeletta Smyth’s Mulvin Lui (Luidam – Baron de Chantepie). The pair stopped the clock at 51.09, almost two seconds slower to take second place.
Third went to Captain Geoff Curran and Professor Alice Stanton and the Minister For Defence’s Dowth Hall (Flex A Bill – Clover Hill) in a time of 51.94. This was one place lower than the pair’s previous week’s result in JAG where they finished runner-up to Liam O’Meara and Oldtown KC.
The fourth place finish, and final double clear went to Edward Doyle Jnr riding Gina Precott’s Billy Guilder (Billy Congo – Cavalier) in 56.86.
Victory for Fitzgerald
Meanwhile, in the Forever Equestrian 1.30m championship on Sunday morning, the win went to Daniel Fitzgerald and the Stephen Nolan-owned seven-year-old Caricello mare Caricell Supercharge took the top spot in a jump-off time of 32.38.
Second place went to Robert Harrisson riding Mosstown Lils Angel in 35.12; while third and fourth place were occupied by two Army Equitation School 2nd Lieutenants, James Whyte (Carrigoran) in 36.87 and Adam Benson Byrne (River Derg) in 39.09.
In the 1.20m class, Lisa Gerbola Bushaway and Carraigh Samraigh were the victors in a very fast jump-off time of 25.74, while second place went to Stephen Bolas and Diamond Del Bosco in 28.86.
Patrick Carey topped the 1.10m championship when he steered SCSH Barnaby to the fastest time in the decider of 28.69 while Patricia Woods and Crissaun Just Joey were second, just slightly slower in 28.84.