FOR the second year in a row, Amhrán na bhFiann played out as the curtain came down on the Equerry Bolesworth International Horse Show as the spectacular Cheshire venue.

This time it was 24-year-old Limerick show jumper Paul Kennedy who stood top of the line with his home-bred mare Cartown Danger Mouse, ahead of Cork’s Billy Twomey and Kimba Flamenco in second place.

Last to go in the jump-off, Kennedy shaved nine 0.09 seconds off Twomey’s time to land the biggest win of his career and collect €33,000 with the 12-year-old Harlequin du Carel-sired mare.

Richard Howley finished in sixth place with Dolores after picking up a single time fault in the first round, followed by a clear second round. Clem McMahon was also among the nine clears in round one but an unlucky fence in the jump-off saw him finish 10th with Pacato (Pacino x Cavalier Royale).

“She hasn’t been there since 2016, when she was third in Grand Prix, she loves that show. I was last to go in the jump-off, I hadn’t seen anyone go but Dave and Shaz (Quigley) were on the ground and they told me what I needed to,” Kennedy told The Irish Field.

He couldn’t hide his delight, throwing his riding helmet into the air. “When I crossed the line I didn’t know I had won, I don’t think anyone did, until they called it out so then it was just a natural instinct, it’s definitely a day I will never forget.”

Billy Twomey added: “Credit to Paul, his mare has been jumping really well all week, he brought some form into the Grand Prix and he was probably the favourite. He (Kimba Flamenco) is absolutely going in the right direction. [I am] Disappointed not to win but he performed really really well and hopefully he is going to be one to look forward to.”

Kennedy’s victory was coming off the back of winning Friday’s 1.45m Table A class. This time he beat Tipperary’s Shane Breen into second place to collect just over €8,000 with his super consistent Cartown Danger Mouse (0/0 37.51).

Breen rode Brian Cassidy’s Irish Sport Horse mare CSF Vendi Cruz (Ars Vivendi x Cruising) to second place in a time of 37.57. McMahon guided Pacato to sixth place (0/0 39.82). The Monaghan rider’s other good result came in Sunday’s 1.45m Table A class when he slotted into sixth place with the Irish Sport Horse Pacifico (Pacino x Aldatus) to collect just over €1,000. Shane Breen was seventh aboard Can Ya Makan, ahead of Anthony Condon and Zira vh Kapelhof Z.

PUISSANCE

Breen produced a record-breaking performance to win a memorable Equerry Bolesworth International Puissance on Friday night with the 18-year-old Puissance specialist Acorad 3.

He was immaculate across all five rounds to clinch victory by jumping a Bolesworth record 2.20m (7ft 3in). Breen was joined in the fifth and final round by four Irishmen – Anthony Condon, Michael Pender, Richard Howley and Paul Kennedy – and was the only one to clear the wall.

“It was my first puissance on this horse,” he said afterwards. “He is a puissance specialist, and I am the sixth Irish rider he has taken to victory in this type of competition. He has never knocked a puissance wall down, and I am delighted to have won it.

“He has jumped 2.20 before, and a little bit higher as well. Last year, I had him in my stable, but I didn’t get to do a puissance with him. When he was younger, he jumped Grands Prix and did everything.”

GOOD RESULTS

David Simpson was runner-up in Sunday’s 1.40m with Chessy 17, while Anthony Condon had the same placing in Saturday’s 1.35m two-phase with Dublin V. Billy Twomey had another good placing with Joe Flynn’s Traditional Irish Sport Horse stallion Ardcolum Duke (Gypsy Duke x Clover Hill) to finish third in Saturday’s 1.45m.