Mikey Pender wins Dutch Grand Prix

IRELAND’s Mikey Pender won the two-star Grand Prix in Peelbergen, The Netherlands, last Sunday aboard the 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse HHS Calais.

Owned by Bravo Hughes Ltd and bred by the late Ita Brennan, the Cavalier Royale gelding is exceptionally consistent under the ultra-talented Pender and in fact the pair were second in a 1.45m class just two days before the Grand Prix win.

From a startlist of 58 in the Grand Prix, some 16 combinations made it through to the second round against the clock. A lightning fast jump-off saw nine riders produce another clear round. Last to go, Pender took full advantage and broke the beam in 33.92 seconds to land victory with almost two seconds to spare, and to take the top prize of €6,350.

Germany’s Christian Kukuk was the runner-up with Creature in 35.36 seconds, ahead of his compatriot Tim Rieskamp-Gödeking with Coldplay 33 (0/0 35.65).

It was the Kildare rider’s first visit to the Dutch show. “It is quite a successful first show here,” he commented afterwards. “We are currently based nearby for a few weeks to attend a series of shows, one of which is a Nations Cup in a few weeks and the preparation with HHS Calais could not have been better.

“In the jump-off we could take out a few strides here and there and I think that made us just a little faster than the rest.”

Pender was joint runner-up behind Rieskamp-Gödeking in Friday’s 1.45m when HHS Calais produced one of 11 clear rounds in the jump-off class to earn €4,445 in a dead-heat with Germany’s Armin Schäfer, while Ireland’s Ivan Dalton slotted into fourth place with Benitot des Carmilles in 39.37 seconds.

Pender’s other victory at the venue came in Thursday’s 1.40m Table A aboard Marion Hughes’ home-bred mare HHS Fortune (Catoki x ARD VDL Douglas). They were the fastest of 38 clear rounds in 60.51 seconds.

Ivan Dalton won Thursday’s two-star 1.35m with the eight-year-old Damoiselle du Mesnil who is owned by Butler Court Stables. The combination were the fastest of 32 double clears in 29.39 seconds.