DERRY’S David Simpson recorded a brilliant win in the CSIO3* Grand Prix in Prague, Czech Republic, last Sunday, aboard the up and coming 11-year-old gelding Fourdre F (Namelus R x San Patrignano Mister).

A huge startlist of 60 combinations started over the 1.50m track, with all clear rounds or the top 15 qualifying for the jump-off. At the end of the first round, a total of 11 had jumped clear, including three Irish riders – Simpson, Michael Duffy and Alexander Butler.

Against the clock, only two managed to keep a clean sheet, and West Sussex-based Simpson was the best of those with Foudre F, who is owned by the rider and Breen Equestrian (Shane Breen), to earn €12,775. Their clear in 51.75 seconds was just marginally quicker than German runner-up Philip Houston with Sandros S Bella (52.15).

Japan’s Koki Saito took the final place on the podium with Chilensky after picking up just one time fault against the clock (56.13).

There were plenty who proved the time could be beaten, including Duffy who finished sixth with Katherine Duffy and HMF Equestrian’s Zilton SI Z after picking up four faults against the clock in a time of 50.86 seconds. The pair were part of the Irish team who finished fourth in Friday’s Nations Cup.

Alexander Butler was out of luck in the second round, picking up eight faults with the 16-year-old mare Athene to finish 15th.

“Foudre came through Shane [Breen]. I did two seasons in Dubai with Shane and Team Z7. When we went in 2019, Shane asked me would I ride him. We clicked really fast and I scraped together enough money to buy a share in him,” David said of the talented gelding, who he is aimed towards this summer’s European Championships in Riesenbeck. The pair made their Nations Cup debut in Vilamoura last November.

Duffy placed

Earlier in the week, Mayo’s Michael G. Duffy and the Ashford Farm-owned My Way B.&V secured a third-place finish in the 1.40m after they delivered a clear in 60.52.

Alexander Butler was fourth in Thursday’s 1.45m aboard the 14-year-old stallion Chilli B. The pair produced a clear round in 63.46 seconds. They carried that form into Sunday’s 1.45m Table A where they were joint-second with Belgium’s Pieter Clemens when stopping the clock in 57.80 seconds to earn €4,445. The duo were just over a second slower than Belgian winner Constant van Paesschen and Diaz du Thot in 56.89.

It was a good outing for Ciaran Dreeling in Prague. Riding Hercules, he slotted in to third place in the Saturday’s one-star 1.30m, when they delivered a clear in 36.63. Dreeling improved on that performance the next day, taking the runner-up spot in the 1.35m with It’s A Star, clear in 65.43 and third with Hercules (0/ 65.89).