Brian Hennessy

A LARGE group of travelling Irish riders continued to pick up prizes at Lummen’s Spring Tour in Belgium this week, with an Irish one-two in Sunday’s CSI*** 1.35m jump-off.

Greg Broderick grabbed top spot with the 10-year-old Guidam Junior gelding MHS Automatic, who is owned by Elizabeth Shiah. Broderick had just over half a second to spare over fellow Irishman Kenneth Graham in second with Lyrical.

Neal Fearon finished as runner-up in Friday’s CSI*** 1.40m speed class with Dree Boeken’s Grossos Roeschen, with Edward Doyle taking fourth spot with Samgemjee. Also on Friday, Greg Broderick and Billy Cevelle finished sixth in the 1.45m jump-off, with Edward Doyle 10th aboard Mullaghdrin Touch the Stars behind British winner Holly Gillot riding the Irish Sport Horse Dougie Douglas.

Huge entries saw two separate CSI*** 1.35m classes taking place, with Greg Broderick finishing as runner-up in the first section with MHS Automatic. In the second section, Dereck McCoppin placed fifth with Whiterock Lucky Lady and Lucinda Roche took 10th aboard WCE Falco, while Anthony Condon took sixth spot in the 1.30m with Robine de Baussy.

Saturday’s young horse classes in Lummen saw Mayo’s Michael G Duffy take the winners prize in the six-year-old final, with the Clinton gelding Etoile de Loma. Kildare’s Aoife O’Connor grabbed sixth place in the six-year-old final with Billy Haze, while Kenneth Graham slotted into tenth place in the five-year-old final with Ballinamurra Eargon. Also on Saturday, Eddie Moloney piloted the nine-year-old gelding Douglas Hill to 10th place in the 1.45m jump-off.

Swiss-based Tipperary rider Thomas Ryan was best of the Irish in Sunday’s 1.50m Grand Prix in Lummen, finishing sixth with Cruise on Clover, while Captain Brian Cournane was 11th aboard Javas Keltic Mist. The winner’s prize went to Britain’s Guy Williams aboard Zaire. Also on Sunday, David Simpson finished fourth in the seven-year-old class with the Lux Z gelding Obama JD.