CONNOLLY’S RED MILLS,

SHOW JUMPERS CLUB,

COILOG

SHANNON Mackenzie had been knocking on the door for several weeks and, once again, she got the correct answer in Coilóg Equestrian last Saturday.

Riding her mother’s 10-year-old mare Bens Lady Lux (Lux Z – Cavalier Royale), Mackenzie saw off stiff competition in a hard-fought 19-way jump-off to claim victory in the penultimate round of the Spring League.

The duo had finished in the runner-up spot in both Cavan and Ravensdale in February, as well claiming their first league win in Portmore in March.

A delighted Mackenzie said: “I had watched John (Floody) go and I knew he was fast so I just moved up as best I could from the first fence on and she just delivered today, she was very good.

“I’ve had her since she was three years old and she has produced some good results. She won the British Classic as a five-year-old, she jumped in the international seven and eight-year-old class in Dublin and has been placed in several National Grand Prix competitions. She’s just a great mare she has just been very consistent.

“I have three other horses that have also performed well over the league so I’m delighted with how it has all gone. Her first full embryo transfer by Diamant de Semilly is due this week so we are really looking forward to that.

“Looking forward, I hope to do some Premier League Grand Prix with her this summer. I’m delighted with the win and I would like to mention my sponsors Stonebrook and thank my Mum and Dad who are all a great help to me.”

A total of 31 had lined out for the class with a massive 19 making it into the timed decider. Daryl Walker and CCS Ottomatic were pathfinders and left all the fences up in a time of 41.80 which would prove too slow to see them included in the final line-up.

John Floody and the first of his three horses in the jump-off Ballyknock Diamond then set the pace with a clear round in a good time of 35.15.

Another rider who was kept busy was Francis Connors who had a full trio through. He and his first of the three, Capitol Cruise, were clear but in a non-competitive 44.88 to see them out of the running.

As fourth to go, David Costello and Vieri then faulted at the fourth fence. Gemma Phelan and the nimble Quality Vilane made no such mistakes and their clear in 37.84 saw them finish just inside the placings in eighth in the final line-up.

Things did not go as well Billie Jean O’Neill and J Silky. They began well but an attempt at a tight turn into number four did not work out well and they ended up retiring.

Francis Connors and his second mount Centolina RB had the first fence down followed by the first part of the double to finish with eight faults to add.

John Floody was still determined to make his mark and he matched his earlier clear this time aboard HTS Blackrock in a slightly slower 35.83 for eventual fifth place.

Louis Gates and Hardiman Erashun VD Heffinck lodged a clear round as the ninth pair in but in too slow a time to feature in the top eight.

The same couldn’t be said for Daryl Walker and Ballycapple Diamond Cruise, however, as their clear round in 37.55 slotted them into seventh place.

Francis Flood and Uskerty Diamond Lad managed to finish just slightly faster than Walker when they were clear in 36.41 for sixth place.

Communication issues on the way to fence four saw Edward Butler and Cornet Son run into trouble, this upset their line to the double, and they were forced to retire.

Gerard Clarke and Ardragh Stein managed the tight right-hand turn to fence four and kept up the pace until the end to stop the clock clear in 34.42. This would be good enough for the eventual runners-up spot.

Francis Connors then saw his hopes dashed early on with the fall of the first fence when aboard Lates Du Carel.

Thomas Foley and Ballylynch Wizard soon joined them on a score of four faults as the next in.

The 18th combination in, Floody and Bronson de Reve, gave it their all. They were rewarded with a clear round in a time of 34.60 to shoot into the lead; but their place at the top was short lived, however, and Floody had to be happy with third, fourth and fifth places on this occasion.

Mackenzie was last in and with an accurate tight right-hand turn into fence four, followed by the same, this time to the left into the double at five, plus an impressive gallop to the last, she and Bens Lady Lux broke the finish beams at 33.50 to secure the victory.

Thomas Foley was named Leading Young Rider while the Leading Pro-Am was David Costello.