IRELAND’s Cian O’Connor posted the only double clear round to capture a win in the Live Oak International Grand Prix CSI** Grand Prix in Ocala, Florida, the last World Cup qualifier before the upcoming final in Las Vegas next month.

A starting field of 46 combinations was rapidly whittled down over a very testing course which resulted in only veteran American show jumper Beezie Madden - ranked eighth in the world - in a jump-off with the Co Meath-based rider.

However, when Madden faulted once in the final round on her 13-year-old mare Vanilla, the door was open for O’Connor and he made no mistakes on his eye-catching new stallion, the aptly named Good Luck (by Canturo) to go clear and seal the win and the €12,000 trophy.

Good Luck is owned by Frank Stronach’s Adena Springs Farm and is only nine years old.

A delighted Cian O’Connor told The Irish Field:: “I found this horse last November through Egyptian Abdul Saeed in Belgium who knew I was looking for a top horse with Olympic potential. I put the proposition to Mr Stronach, I coach his granddaughter Nikki Walker and thankfully, the horse was secured for me to jump.

“This was our first time to jump Good Luck on grass and we were delighted to get the only double clear over what was a proper World Cup qualifier course in a time allowed that was short. Good Luck is super careful with a lot of scope. He’s very talented and really launches himself, it is something surreal. He’s a real stallion and his rideability has improved a lot in the time I’ve had him. He was lightly produced in Belgium, jumping up to two-star level.”

LEADING RIDER AWARD

As a result of having such a good week in Ocala, O’Connor also won the $10,000 E3 Showjumpers Leading Rider Award which is presented to the rider who accumulates the highest number of points over the three days of show jumping at the 2015 Live Oak International Horse Show.

The Irish rider racked up a series of good results with new horse Chandon Blue and his Nations Cup mare Quidam’s Cherie before winning the Grand Prix with Good Luck, to clinch the prize.

“It was a great week, there’s a lot of hard work involved and I’d like to thank my staff who play such a huge role. We return home to Ireland next Wednesday. Nikki Walker will be coming with us to Karlswood with her six horses and I also coach two other riders Emily Short from Pennsylvania and Christina Heurtematte from Guatemala. They have three horses each.

“Good Luck will have a few easy weeks at home and then start doing two-star shows around Europe and hopefully we may get to compete in the European Championships in August which is so important for Ireland’s Olympic qualification,” said the Irish Olympic bronze-medallist.