Susan Finnerty

CAMERON Hanley’s aptly-named Longines Grand Prix prizewinner Living The Dream summed up the surroundings and atmosphere of the Masters Grand Slam, a spectacular event which brought show jumping back to Los Angeles for the first time in 30 years. 

The series Paris and Hong Kong legs are already well-established and bringing this five-star show, with its $1 million prize fund, to the Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC) was owed largely to the initiative of Christophe Ameeuw, founder of the Masters Grand Slam series.

 Kicking off a hat-trick of Irish placings was the in-form Darragh Kenny who placed second in both the Los Angeles Time Trophy on Friday and the FOX Sports Trophy the following morning. His consistent prizewinner Chin Quidam VDL, an eight-year-old stallion by Chin Chin, was competing in only his second 1.50m class and is another of Belmont-born Kenny’s string of horses owned by Hyperion Stud’s breeding operation.

 “He looks as if he’s going to be a great horse for the future. But I would have liked to have won - I seem to be getting beat by Patrice [Delaveau] a fair bit! The show is great for America to have - we don’t have enough good shows like this. Other than Wellington, this is the only other five-star show of the whole year,” said Kenny afterwards. He plans to remain on the Californian circuit, including Thermal, before moving on to Florida.

 Frenchman Patrice Delaveau, the victor on Ornella Mail HDC, was fresh from winning two silver medals at the recent Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games on home ground in Normandy.

“It’s [Games] already passed. The week after we were in Lausanne because you can’t earn your money at a world championship and this week we are in Los Angeles. We Europeans don’t have many opportunities to compete in America and we are very happy to be here,” he said.

Another new concept was a Ryder Cup-style Battle of the Nations competition between Europe and the United States, held on Saturday night.

 Kent Farrington’s win here was another boost for his winning mare Blue Angel’s sire Luidam, whose progeny are on a recent winning streak. Two rounds over Belgian course designer Luc Musette’s 1.55m course resulted in a crowd-pleasing victory for the host nation with Egyptian rider Nayel Nassar in second with the Hannoverian, Lordan. Kevin Staut continued the good French form in third place with Oh D’Eole.

 Several Irish-breds including Reed Kessler’s Cos I Can were also in action and the best Irish-bred result was recorded by Laura Kraut on Stone Hill Farm’s Wotsamillion in fifth.

 “He’s by Captain Clover and Nick [Skelton] spotted him in England as a five-year-old. Nick always says the Irish horse needs time and he has been very consistent all season,” she said of the carefully-produced nine-year-old, who was bred by Walter Hughes and is out of an Atlantic Boy dam.

 Slotted in between the feature classes were several 1.30m classes which gave several young American riders valuable experience in the electric atmosphere before Sunday afternoon’s closing event, the Longines Grand Prix.

 Darragh Kenny was unlucky to have just one fence down in the opening round with his globe-trotting Imothep (by Indoctro) but Cameron Hanley was one of just half-a-dozen pairs in the world-class field to make it through to the jump-off. 

 Just as at Dublin where young Bertram Allen won another Longines-sponsored Grand Prix class, it was another bright new talent in 18-year-old Jos Verlooy who stole the show with Domino (by Thunder Van De Zuuthoeve), one of three Belgian-breds in the jump-off.

 The reigning Olympic show jumping champion Steve Guerdat finished runner-up with the Kannan-sired Albfuehren’s Dream ahead of an on-form Juvina ridden by Georgina Bloomberg, whose father Michael was amongst the spectators.

Irish Horse World columnist Hanley was visibly delighted with the Toulon gelding Living The Dream, produced in his earlier days by Alex Duffy. The pair finishe din sixth place in the CSI***** Longines Grand Prix (1.60m) on a final score of four faults in a time of 42.72.

“He was amazing!” said the Claremorris native, who was then against the clock to catch his flight back home.

Organiser of the Masters Grand Slam Indoor, Christophe Ameeuw confirmed that plans are already underway for next year’s event and that the inaugural event was the start of a five-year contract with the title sponsor, Longines.

“I am so proud for my team. Los Angeles is comparable in synergy with Paris and Hong Kong and that was my dream [to bring the Masters Grand Slam to America] and the LACC is the only and best venue for it here,” she said.