WHILE Austin O’Connor’s win dominated the news out of Maryland last weekend, Irish horses were also holding their own with US rider Caroline Pamukcu winning both the CCI3*-L with Irish Sport Horse HSH Connor and the Young Event Horse Championships for four-year-olds with HSH Afterglow.

HSH Connor is a seven-year-old by Connor 48 out of Galwaybay Merstona by Mermus R, bred by Justin Burke and owned by Sherrie Martin, Luann McElduff and Pamukcu herself.

HSH Afterglow is a four-year-old gelding by Hype out of Ringwood Venus, bred by Peter Leonard and owned by Pamukcu.

Riding HSH Connor, Pamukcu was the only CCI3*-L rider to finish on their dressage score, 25.4, and they led from the outset on what was also the best first-phase score.

The win was the fifth win in-a-row for this horse, having come off the back of two other CCI3*-L wins and two CCI3*-S wins this season. HSH Connor was also a silver medal ride for Caroline at the 2022 FEI WBFSH Eventing World Breeding Championship at Mondial du Lion.

She was also sixth in the same class with another Irish Sport Horse, HSH Tolan King, adding just four show jumping penalties to a dressage score of 29.

HSH Tolan King is an eight-year-old gelding by Tolan Rout of Kilmolash Clover Rhodes (Porter Rhodes), bred by William O’Brien and owned by Sherrie Martin, Derek Strine and Pamukcu.

Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Connor in action at Maryland \ Shannon Brinkman Photography

Top conformation

Riding HSH Afterglow in the four-year-old championship, Pamukcu was third after dressage on 17 but topping the conformation score with 8.62, the show jumping with 13.8 and the cross-country with 28.8, they were soon in pole position.

Irish rider Lee Maher and HSH Untouchable, an Irish Sport Horse by Uriko out of Stella XXI, were eighth in this class.

“It’s emotional for me just to remember his first jump school, his first flat school, and then all the way to this moment,” Pamukcu said of HSH Connor.

“We were so close last year to winning the Young Horse World Championships [at Le Lion] that for him to win the USEF National Championship is amazing.”

HSH Connor has had a busy season with four wins prior to this victory at the Maryland 5 Star and his hard work has earned him some time off, according to Pamukcu.

“He is getting all of his shoes pulled right now. He’s gonna go out in the field with his buddies, he’s gonna go out and deal with Kings Especiale [who just finished second at the Morven Park CCI4*-L in Virginia] and out with [HSH] Blake after he gets back from the Pan Ams. He is going to have about two months off in the field to get furry and fat and have a good time with his buddies.”