The first week of action at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) concluded on Sunday with a victory for Britain’s Ben Maher and Kavanagh IV in the $30,000 Mar-a-Lago Club Grand Prix, in which McGuigan finished fourth.

Course designer Eric Hasbrouck saw 47 combinations jump the first round, with 10 advancing to the jump-off. Only two were able to clear the short course without fault and Maher produced the winning time on Kavanagh IV in 35.01 seconds.

America’s Paris Sellon and the Irish-bred Heracross (by Ramiro B) finished second with a clear round in 40.05. Fellow American rider Karen Polle had the fastest time of 33.89, but incurred four faults to finish third.

McGuigan and his own 10-year-old gelding Capall Zidane (by Concorde) were fourth with four faults in 34.34. McGuigan and Polle were both victims of the tall planks which caused problems for many combinations in both rounds.

Maher has ridden Kavanagh IV, a 12-year-old Anglo European gelding by Kannan, since last autumn and explained: “I took over the ride a few months ago when I was resting the other horses in England back in October, and he went quite well the first week, so John and Laura (Renick) kindly left him with me.

“I begged them to let me take him to Florida because I know he’s great in the big arenas. He takes strides out in a big ring like this; he’s pretty fast. A lot of horses had the planks down, so I took a little bit of time there and left a small margin for the others to catch me, but luckily it was the right decision today.”

Runner-up Sellon also earned a special award as the leading lady jumper rider for week one, presented by Martha Jolicoeur of Illustrated Properties in memory of Dale Lawler. The 21-year-old is from Los Angeles, but has been riding with Laura Kraut and Nick Skelton since last May. She purchased Heracross from Skelton a year ago.

McGuigan also steered Capall Zidane to finish third in last Thursday week’s $25,000 Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Round 1. As reported last week, the class was won by American Wilton Porter (Paloubet) with a double clear in 36.05. He is trained by Co Cork native John Roche.

Charlie Jacobs of America finished second on Flaming Star in 36.79, while McGuigan was third in 37.22. Shane Sweetnam also featured in the top rank, finishing fourth on the Irish-bred mare Solerina (by Cruising) in 37.49. Sellon and Heracross were fifth in 38.87.

Sweetnam finished fifth in last Saturday’s $25,000 Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic on Diktator Van De Boslandhoeve as the fastest four-faulter against the clock in 34.58. Lauren Hough won on Bockmanns with a double clear in 31.64, while Darragh Kenny was third on New Look De Mescam in 33.23.

Last Wednesday week, Sweetnam was second on Baldev in a 1.45m speed class with a clear in 67.67. Adrienne Sternlicht (Quidam MB) won in 66.19.

Also that day, Darragh Kerins was fifth in a 1.40m speed class on Zerro Leone with a clear in 75.31, some 15 seconds off the winner. The rider was also second in a 1.30m jump-off with D Elia Van Het Molenhof, finishing ahead of Darragh Kenny (Tindorette) and David Blake (Lisalba) in third and fourth.

Andrew Bourns was third in the day’s 1.35m jump-off with Venice, while Blake was ninth in that class on Aisha.

Blake tasted success the following day when steering Lisalba to win a 1.30m speed class with a clear in 53.23, which left him narrowly ahead of Jeffery Welles (Gummi Van Oz) in 53.29. The rider was also fifth on Aisha in a 1.40m jump-off with a double clear that was just two seconds off the winning time.

Also last Thursday week, Kevin Babington and the Irish-bred Mark Q (by OBOS Quality 004) were fourth in a 1.45m jump-off with a double clear in 38.21. Sweetnam finished one place behind on Eregast Van’t Kiezelhof in 38.59. The class was won by Samantha Senft on Early Morning in 36.67.