MIKEY Pender rounded off what has been a superb year for him with a fitting victory in the final round of the Showjumping Ireland Autumn Grand Prix league in Cavan last Sunday aboard his boss Marion Hughes’ home-bred mare HHS Fortune.

In a big jump-off of 20 combinations, he posted the winning time of 31.48, just one hundredth of a second faster than the runner-up, Manuel Feldmann.

Following the win, Pender told The Irish Field: “I am really pleased with the win. I was meant to be last to go in the jump-off, but I moved up because Cyril Cools had three in it so I went second last.

“Molly (Hughes Bravo) and I both ride this mare (HHS Fortune) and she has done well for both of us. Molly has been riding her for the past few months, prior to that I rode her to win the Speed Stakes and the Speed Derby at the Dublin Horse Show back in August.

“It was very close in the jump-off. I hadn’t really planned to do 10 strides to the last fence but I felt I was maybe a bit slow up to that, so I went for the 10. Her 10 strides is a lot faster than most; her stride is just so quick, so I think that’s where we won it.

“She’s won a lot of speed classes and I think that’s where her strength lies. That’s where she is most comfortable.”

Taking a look back at his incredible year, we asked what were the moments which stood out for him? “Jumping clear in the second round of the Nations Cup in Barcelona for the team was a big thing for me. Individually, the two five-star Grand Prix (Valkenswaard and Riyadh) wins would have to be the highlights.

“I’m finished for the year now, so we’ll take a little break. I’ll start to build them all up again in the New Year and head off to the Sunshine Tour. I want to have them all feeling their very best so we can continue achieving better results.”

Big class

Some 62 combinations lined out for the 1.40m class which offered a prize fund of €3,000. Some 20 of these managed to produce a clear in round one to progress to the timed decider, where just eight were clear the second time out.

Pender was the fastest of these, breaking the finish beams in a time of 31.48 when second last to go aboard HHS Fortune. By Catoki, she is an 11-year-old mare out of HHS Daisy (Ard VDL Douglas).

In doing so he relegated Germany’s Manuel Feldman, who is based at Cian O’Connor’s Karlswood Stables, to second place with Deborah Francis’ Ivan; the pair stopped the clock just a fraction slower in 31.49 which saw them hold the lead for some time.

Winner of the previous day’s 1.35m, Angela Waras and Hugh Ward’s gelding Diamant De La Mer (Diamant De Semilly x Eurocommerce Berlin) finished in third place in 31.79. On his first show in Ireland, Belgian rider Cyril Cools accounted for fourth and fifth place aboard Martina Romagnoli’s Cloe GP Z and Darius Peguignon, while Molly Hughes Bravo and HHS Vancouver were sixth.

Edward Doyle Jnr was crowned the SJI Autum Grand Prix league winner at Cavan. Pictured with SJI chairman Christy Murphy \ Laurence Dunne Jumpinaction.net

League outcome

After 10 competitions, the final round results had little effect on the overall league outcome. Edward Doyle Jnr and Quick Bill, who picked up four faults in the first round on Sunday, claimed the overall prize of €2,000 with 34 points to their credit.

Emma McEntee and Far West de Hus were runners-up on 22, while Ger O’Neill (Mr Castlefield) and Gemma Phelan (ABC Ballycruise) shared third place on 18 points each.