VISITING riders may have proved to be a dominant force at Balmoral CSI2* but Irish riders came out on top in the final Bottle Green and Horse Sport Ireland International Grand Prix last Friday, with Tipperary's Greg Broderick claiming victory.
Last to go in the seven-horse jump-off aboard Charly Chaplin, Broderick's calculated riding saw him take out a stride from fence one to two. This, matched with a stride out between the third and fourth fence, and then to the last, saw him lodge the winning clear round of 40.78 seconds.
The 12-year-old KWPN gelding is by Harley out of the Burggraaf-sired dam, Naomi. He is owned by Broderick’s American student Kerry McCahill and her company Kerry Anne LLC, and since Broderick temporarily took over the ride just a few months ago he has clocked up some impressive results.
Among those was a third-place finish in the Seville Grand Prix and fifth in a class at the four-star Vejer de la Frontera in Spain.
This is the second big win for Broderick since returning from international duty, having claimed victory in the 1.50m TRM/HSI New Heights Champion Series in Portmore with the Irish-bred BP Hybernia.
Speaking after the win, a delighted Broderick said: “It was great to have another win on home soil. It was a technical enough course, but the course designer got it just right, with seven through to the jump-off.
“Full marks to the course designer and the arena party in Balmoral. The ground just got better every day that we jumped.
“I am delighted also for the owner Kerry McCahill, who has had a great season so far, with a series of excellent results in Olivia, Seville and Vejer de La Frontera. She had a great Balmoral herself, finishing sixth earlier in the week and she was just unlucky in the Grand Prix here today.
“Kerry will be riding the horse herself again and no doubt will clock up more results at this level.”
Speaking about the coming season, Broderick added: “My plan is to try to qualify some horses for the national classes in Dublin and then I will head to Lisbon.”
Jump-off
In total, 38 combinations went to post in the Grand Prix and from those, seven proceeded to the second round where four double clears were delivered.
Two riders, Max O’Reilly Hyland (Ahmed Du Calvaire) and Stacey Babes (Castlefield), were denied their place in the second round when they incurred a single time fault. A further 12 riders finished the first round carrying four faults.
Jason Foley was first to go in the jump-off with Castlefield Cass. Four faults in a time of 41.33 against the clock would later prove good enough for fifth place.
Next up, English-based Jonathan Smith delivered the first of the double clears with Mulvin Lui in a time of 45.60, to take the lead and later eventual fourth.
Smith’s lead held only temporarily as Tholm Keane lodged another good result with BMH Big Time, when he crossed the line clear in 44.72, which would later see him slot into third.
Florida native Julie Wells, who rides for leading US rider Laura Kraut, knew what she needed to do as she took to the course with Ambra and she took the lead when crossing the line clear in 41.85.
Britain's Simon Buckley also put in a very fast round with Ella in 44.71, but it came at a price as he incurred four faults to take sixth.
Things didn’t go according to plan for Britain's Nigel Coupe and Balzac as the duo finished on a score of 11 faults for seventh place.
Broderick earned £7,590 for first place and put 100 points on the board in the Horse Sport Ireland Jumping Challenge which sees him share the lead with Millstreet Grand Prix winner Thomas O'Brien. The next leg of the challenge takes place next Monday (June 3rd) at the two-star show in Mullingar.