THOMAS O’Brien and Miss Darco came out on top in the Devenish Nutrition Bet Show jumping live 1.30m international jump-off competition on Sunday afternoon in Mullingar.

A total of 32 combinations earned their place by qualifying in Saturday morning’s speed class, as well as classes held at the Galway and Ballinasloe shows earlier in the summer.

The riders are then divided into four teams; A,B,C and D, with the highest placed rider from each qualifying group going last.

All riders in team A jump, followed by all in group B, then C and finally D. When this is complete, the best two riders from each team go forward to the winning round when each competitor then reverts to a zero score, but their previous scores and times decide the order of go; they start in reverse order of results from round one.

The winning round is judged at a Table A class. The eight riders, two from each team that qualified were: Team A; Gerard Clarke and John Floody; Team B; Eddie Moloney and Mark Finnerty; Team C; Richard Kerins and Thomas O’Brien and Team D; Mikey Pender and Cian Harrisson.

O’Brien and Miss Darco have had a consistent string of good results so far this year; winning the Spring Tour Grand Prix at the beginning of April and then the CSI* Welcome Tour Grand Prix in Millstreet the following weekend.

By Darco out of Green Sleeps Divine by Drossan, this bay mare is owned and has been partnered by O’Brien for the majority of her competition career and has recorded decent placings in every young horse division.

The pair recorded their second fault-free round of the final in a very fast time of 30.89 to take the victory and €4,000 the majority share of the prize fund.

Mikey Pender took the runner-up spot with Marion Hughes’ eight-year-old mare HHS Fortune (Catoki – Ard VDL Douglas). The duo broke the finish beam in 32.76 to collect the €2,000 second prize.

Cian Harrisson and his father Fergal’s nine-year-old Cash H gelding Mr Big Cash slotted into third place after they stopped the clock at 32.92.

Richard Kerins and Frank Kelly’s nine-year-old Hermes De Reve mare Achonry Carie recorede a time of 34.53 and this was good enough to earn them fourth place as the only other double clear round of the class.

Eddie Moloney riding the nine-year-old Flexabill mare Cruiserath Flexianna had one fence down in the second fastest time of the day of 32.39, but with four faults to add they were left in fifth place.

Patrick Sutton’s eight-year-old Lux Z mare Hollystown Miss Lupin and Gerard Clarke slotted into sixth place with four faults in 34.19.

Emma ridden by Mark Finnerty had two fences down to collect eight faults in a time of 34.16 for seventh place.

The eighth and final place went to John Floody and Kevin Thompson’s Dutch-bred gelding Donevan Erkindale, they too had two fences down but were slightly slower in 35.50.