Sire rankings released
CHACCO-Blue (OLD) and Contendro (HOLST) have retained their leading sire status in this year’s World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses (WBFSH) rankings, while Jazz (KWPN) has regained his number one spot amongst dressage stallions. Several Irish-based stallions appear in the eventing sires results with Courage II (HOLST) the highest-ranked (fifth), followed by Ars Vivendi (HOLST, seventh) and Limmerick (HOLST, ninth) with OBOS Quality (OLD) rounding off the current top-10. Full analysis of the 2019 WBFSH sire rankings in next week’s issue.
Joe Reynolds running for OFI Executive Committee
HORSE Sport Ireland’s acting CEO Joe Reynolds is running for a place of the Olympic Federation of Ireland’s Executive Committee, to serve a four-year term through to 2024. Reynolds is among nine candidates seeking election for seven available non-officer Executive Committee positions. The election will take place online at the OFI’s EGM on December 6th next.
Death of Olympic horse Coryolano
ANNA Merveldt’s London 2012 Olympic Games horse Coryolano was put down last week at the age of 24. Highlights from their wonderful career include winning the Grand Prix Special at both the FEI World Cup shows in Lipica, Slovenia, and Marianske Lazne, Czech Republic in 2008. In 2009 they scored a double at the three-star show in La Mandria, Italy. The following year they won both the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Kür at Vidauban CDI3*.
They represented Ireland at the three FEI European Championships and narrowly missed out on qualifying for the Grand Prix Special in London. “Coryolano spent his last years happily out on grass in Bavaria. His exceptional character enabled him to compete at international level. We had amazing times together. You always knew when riding up the centre line that ‘Cheeky’ would perform. Thank you my dear old friend,” Anna said.
Fly The Last Flute dies
THE Connemara pony Fly The Last Flute was sadly put down this week aged 15. By Cocum Camelot, he was bred in the UK by Elaine Tomlinson. Owned and ridden by well-known showing producer Sandra Burton, he become the Mountain and Moorland supreme ridden champion at Olympia in 2013. He secured seven HOYS tickets in total and finished second in 2015.
Vivant van de Heffinck sale-toppers
THE Coolballyshan Stud resident stallion Vivant van de Heffinck produced two sale toppers at online auctions this week. At the PS Auction, the four year-old mare Vivaconta Blue PS topped the sale when sold to a Germany buyer for €102,000. The mare is from a strong dam line of the 1.60m jumpers Chasanno and Chacstara.
At the Flyinge Open Sales in Sweden, the five-year-old Vivant gelding Vito-Blue PS topped the sale when sold to Denmark for €285,000. The gelding is from another top-class damline, with the first dam, Dolcetta (Chacco-Blue) already producing two jumpers that will be familier to Irish riders in Cento Blue 4 (1.45m, Brendan Murphy) and Centriko Volo (1.50m, Jordan Coyle). Also in the family is Chakito (1.60, Darragh Kenny) and Caspar 232 (1.60m, Emanuele Gaudiano).
Irish team for Spanish Nations Cup
IRISH show jumping team manager Michael Blake has named his five squad members for the three-star FEI Nations Cup at Vejer De La Frontera in Southern Spain, which takes place next Friday, November 27th. The team is Mark McAuley (Jasco VD Bisschop), Michael G Duffy (Lapuccino 2 (ISH) or Chappo Chey), Denis Lynch (Cristello), Cameron Hanley (ESI Toulouse) and Conor Swail (Koss Van Heiste).