OFFALY’s Darragh Kenny was among the five-star winners at week nine of the Winter Equestrian Festival in Florida, USA, while victory in Saturday night’s $406,000 five-star Douglas Elliman Real Estate Grand Prix went to Belgium’s Abdel Saïd.

Kenny’s victory came in Wednesday’s $37,000 Douglas Elliman Real Estate 1.45m aboard Vlock Show Stables’ 11-year-old Comme Il Faut stallion Chic Chic.

Tipperary course designer Alan Wade was on duty at the Wellington venue and set a stiff track for the 62 starters. Just 18 of those managed to keep a clean sheet and despite going early in the class, Kenny set the winning time of 32.69 seconds.

That was just good enough to keep teammate and friend Mark McAuley in second place with LT Competition’s 10-year-old mare O’Hara ELS. The pair were clear in 33.36 seconds.

“I’ve had this horse for several years now, and I know he is naturally quite fast,” explained Kenny afterwards. “He had a bit of a break over the fall, and he is just building back up to this level. He felt like he was in good form today so I wanted to try and have a good go.”

Kenny took over the ride from Stephen Moore over two years ago and the pair have had success up to Grand Prix level in Europe. “He is a very good horse, and he was competitive today,” added Kenny. “Some of the lines in today’s course were a bit short which suited him well because he doesn’t have the biggest stride. If I don’t have to worry about getting down a line it allows me to keep my forward pace better.”

“It is always difficult to win here but if you do, you know you are doing something right.”

Bertram Allen was runner-up in Friday’s 1.45m Table A with Emmylou. Victory looked certain for the pair when they posted a time of 57.69 seconds but America Olympian McLain Ward just overtook him in the end with Catoki (0/ 57.15). Darragh Kenny finished third with Gouvernante VDL (0/ 59.19).

Shane Sweetnam finished fourth in Sunday’s 1.50m with Alejandro. The pair were among just four clears in the 11-horse jump-off. Derry’s Daniel Coyle finished sixth with Ivory TCS, ahead of Darragh Kenny and Chic Chic in seventh.

Victory went to USA’s Karl Cook with Kalinka van’t Zorgvliet. The Frank and Laura Glynn-bred Irish Sport Horse gelding FTS Killossery Konfusion finished second under Belgium’s Jos Verlooy.

Saïd all class

Abdel Saïd, who recently changed nationality from Egypt to Belgium, repeated his victory from 2021 in the big week nine five-star Grand Prix, but this time with his own Arpege Du Ru.

The event featured 40 of the world’s best equestrian athletes spanning 13 different nations and a significant track by world-renowned Irishman Alan Wade.

2020 Tokyo Olympic Games team silver medalists McLain Ward and Contagious were the class trailblazers, and they initiated the challenge with a clear round. Twelve pairs eventually found their way to a fault-free finish to contest the jump-off. The course’s time allowed of 81 seconds only kept one combination from advancing to the second round, and six entries had their night cut short by just one fence down.

As the first of the 12 to return, Ward once again led the charge but an unfortunate miscommunication at a vertical left him and Contagious on a four-fault final score for sixth place. Saïd’s performance with Arpege Du Ru produced the first double-clear effort of the class and bumped the pair into the top spot with a time of 38.58 seconds.

Despite 10 more giving it their best shot, Saïd remained at the top of the leaderboard, beating USA’s Kent Farrington into second place with Orafina (0/0 40.42). Belgium’s Nicola Philippaerts finished third with Katanga v/h Dingeshof (0/0 41.46).

Kerry’s Brian Cournane was among the clears in the first round with the 13-year-old gelding Armik, who is owned by Mr and Mrs Stiller. Four faults against the clock meant they had to settle for 10th place.

“I’m really delighted with my mare because all season she has been developing,” said Saïd. “Every year we come to WEF, I find my horses develop further, and I’m thrilled it came together tonight. I really enjoy being here. I don’t think there are many better venues in the world, especially at the beginning of the year, to set your horses up so well.”