OFFALY’s Kevin Mealiff took the winners’ prize in Sunday’s $50,000 Grand Prix in HITS on the Hudson in New York, USA.
Mealiff, who rides for Maarten Huggen Horse Sales, took victory after a seven-horse jump-off with Viper Vrombautschoeve Z, who is owned by BKS Horse Farms LLC. Mealiff also recorded a runner-up finish with Nuca 2 in Saturday’s $30,000 Otter Creek Grand Prix at the Vermont Summer Festival where victory went to fellow Irishman Kevin McCarthy riding Catch A Star HSS.
His other top placing came in Friday’s $25,000 Grand Prix when he finished third with Iliano Van D’ Abelendreef.
ALEXANDER Butler picked up two victories in Samorin, Slovakia, last week.
The first of those came in Thursday’s two-star 1.45m class aboard James Egan’s 10-year-old gelding Eldorado when double clear in a time of 27.73 seconds. The following day Butler won the one-star seven-year-old class with Milestone Farm’s Coup de Coeur.
In Sunday’s 1.60m four-star Grand Prix, Butler was one of 11 clears in the first round to make it through to the jump-off. Riding L.C.J. Berben’s 12-year-old stallion Chilli B, he faulted once against the clock in a time of 41.21 to finish in seventh place and earn €2,799.
Victory went to France’s Pierre Marie Friant and Urdy d’Astree (0/0 37.37). Louth’s Kevin Thornton finished second in Sunday’s two-star 1.45m with Pollux du Roset CH.
SLIGO’s Richard Howley has been in good form of late. Following victory in the prestigious Cock O’The North Championship in Yorkshire two weeks ago aboard Chinook, Howley was on the road again to Sentower Park in Belgium where he won Saturday’s two-star 1.45m jump-off class.
Eleven combinations produced a second clear round in the 16-horse jump-off, and Howley’s time of 32.75 seconds was good enough to take victory and €6,250.
CORK’s Billy Twomey and Tipperary’s Denis Lynch finished fourth and fifth, respectively, in the five-star Grand Prix of Ascona, Switzerland, last Sunday. Some 10 combinations made it through to the jump-off, including Limerick’s Paul O’Shea, and seven of those produced a second clear against the clock. Twomey’s time of 39.74 with the 11-year-old stallion Chat Botte Du Ruisseau Z was good enough for fourth place and €27,500. Lynch was just over a second slower with Onyx Consulting Ltd’s 13-year-old GC Chopin’s Bushi to win €16,500.
O’Shea faulted once aboard Skara Glen’s Machu Picchu to finish 10th.
Victory went to Belgium’s Jos Verlooy and Caracas (0/0 37.73), ahead of Britian’s Robert Whitaker in second with Catwalk V (0/0 39.33).
DAVID Simpson won last Sunday’s three-star 1.40m Table A in Megeve, France. Riding Charlotte Platt’s Jenson 55, he had the fastest time of the class, 60.89 seconds, to secure €1,250.