IRISH Sport Horses filled two of the top five places in last Saturday’s three-star $130,000 Adequan Grand Prix under the lights at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Florida, which was won by Canada’s Eric Lamaze aboard his Rio Olympic mount Fine Lady 5.
Tipperary’s Kevin Babington was one of just seven riders to advance to the second round and finished up in fifth place after dropping one rail in the second round aboard the Irish Sport Horse Mark Q (OBOS Quality 004 x Positively) in a time of 42.23.
Three riders managed to jump double clear rounds, Lamaze the fastest of those with Fine Lady 5 in 40.26 seconds. The 14-year-old Hanoverian mare won a bronze medal at the Olympic Games before concluding 2016 with a win in the Rolex Top Ten Final in Geneva last December.
Speaking after the class, Lamaze said: “She felt really good tonight. I gave her a long rest after the Olympics, and then started back and just did Paris and Geneva. I plan on using her quite a bit at the beginning of the circuit here since she is fit from Geneva already. Then we will give her a rest before returning to Europe.”
American-born German rider Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum stood runner-up beside Lamaze on the podium, breaking the beam in 40.79 seconds aboard the lovely grey gelding Comanche (Coupe de Couer x Baloubet du Rouet).
Spain’s Sergio Alvarez Moya was just one-hundredth of a second behind Michaels-Beerbaum with the Selle Francais mare G&C Unicstar de l’Aumone. Another Irish Sport Horse, ISHD Dual Star, finished in fourth place.
The mount of America’s Laura Chapot, the 15-year-old mare by Quick Star faulted once in the jump-off in 41.83 seconds.
MOLONEY PLACED
Kilkenny’s Richie Moloney was the best placed Irish rider in Sunday’s $35,000 Sunset 1.50m Classic. Moloney was double handed in the jump-off and eventually guided Equinimity LLC’s Button Sitte to fifth place with a double clear round in 44.24 seconds.
He also picked up a minor placing with Ypaja Yando, four faults with a good time of 41.16 just saw them slip down to seventh place.
Germany’s Marcus Beerbaum, the husband of Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum, emerged as the winner aboard the 10-year-old Selle Francais mare Tequilla De Lille (0/0 39.68). In another close finish, Beerbaum beat Israel’s Daniel Bluman and Bacara d’Archonfosse into second place by one-hundredth of a second.
After representing Columbia for 12 years and riding at two Olympic games, Bluman has switched to ride for Israel this year in a bid to make show jumping stronger in the country. USA’s Laura Kraut was third with Constable II (0/0 41.25).
The competition was raised again this week with four-star action kicking off on Tuesday.
The highlights include the team relay Great Charity Challenge tonight (Saturday) and the $216,000 Ariat Grand Prix.
The Land Rover Wellington Eventing Showcase will be held at The Stadium at Palm Beach International Equestrian Centre this weekend where more than 20 top eventing riders will line out.