COUNTY Louth’s Mark McAuley rode the 10-year-old mare GRS Lady Amaro (ISH) to secure an impressive runner-up finish in the five-star Longines Grand Prix at Lyon’s World Cup show in France last Friday night. GRS Lady Amaro is by Amaretto Darco (BWP), out of Legal Lady (TB), by Over The River (TB), was bred by Denis Hickey from Co Wexford and is owned by S N C McAuley.

Of the 47 starters, 13 riders were clear over the first-round course and made it into the jump-off. McAuley was one of them and he proceeded to jump clear again against the clock to finish in 36.78 seconds, just over half-a-second behind French winner Julien Epaillard riding Dubai du Cedre, whose time was 36.14.

Sligo’s Richard Howley was also clear in the opening round to get into the jump-off with his double World Cup winner Consulent de Prelet Z, however, they had one fence down, which saw them finish in eighth place overall.

Kian Dore and Sparkling Lackaghmore Joey, pictured during the Individual Championship for Jumping at the 2023 FEI European Championships for Ponies in Le Mans in July \ Libby Law Photography

Meanwhile, in the CSIP Prix CWD, Limerick’s Kian Dore rode 10-year-old Sparkling Lackaghmore Joey into fourth place in the one-round 1.25m class to finish in a time of 60.88. Emily Moloney and Lady Crown placed seventh in the same class on 63.78 seconds.

Saturday saw Denis Lynch and Dark Chocolate 48 finishing fifth in the CSI5*-W 1.50m Prix Boehringer Ingelheim class in 62.41 seconds, less than two seconds behind the winner, Sweden’s Henrik Von Eckermann on Dzara Dorchival, who jumped clear in a time of 60.82 seconds.

Richard Howley and Zodiak Du Buisson Z just missed out on a podium position, when they finished fourth in the CSI5*-W 1.60m Equita Masters presented by Hermes Sellier. The pair was among only seven who made it through to the jump-off, where they jumped another clear round, this time stopping the clock in 44.47 seconds.

Clearly 16-year-old Dore and Edel Dore’s grey gelding Sparkling Lackaghmore Joey had benefitted from their experience the previous day and they claimed the top spot in the CSIP Grand Prix CWD and brought home the FEI Jumping Ponies Trophy. They jumped double clear round the 1.35m track, with a very fast time of 31.85 seconds in the jump-off – over three seconds clear of second placed Myla Moulin Teste on D’zeus Des Chesnaies for France.

While Howley did not repeat his recent World Cup winning performances in Lyon on Sunday, he remains at the top of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Western European League on 40 points.