GALWAY’s David O’Brien grabbed top honours during the first week at the Tryon Welcome Tour in North Carolina, winning Sunday’s $15,000 1.35m-1.40m Jumper Classic aboard KIR Royal SCF.

O’Brien, who produces young horses and trains at Spy Coast Farm LLC in Lexington, Kentucky, produced the fastest double clear in 36.11 seconds, beating Jorge Ludwig into second.

“The course was really nice, and it’s nice to get my horses back in this ring again after the break this winter,” O’Brien said afterwards. “This was my first show outdoors since October, where KIR Royal SCF won a speed class in CSI 5* competition. He’s home-produced, bred by Lisa Lourie at Spy Coast Farm.”

The nine-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding by Amaretto D’Arco improved on his second-place finish in Friday’s $5,000 1.35m Welcome Stake, where O’Brien also collected top honors riding Dayla 6, a 2009 Belgian Sport Horse mare (Ogano Sitte x Zeoliet).

“We had one down in the second round Friday, but today there were no mistakes,” O’Brien continued. “I was very close to a double clear on Dayla today, and she was very good this week. She belongs to Cleveland Equestrian, and I don’t have her for that long, but she seems really nice.”