STEPHEN Gibbons (18) galloped to win the opening Premier Performance National Grand Prix of the 2025 season and the first of his young career to date at Duffy’s Equestrian Centre in Co Galway last Saturday.

Premier Performance has come on board as the new title sponsor this year and, supplemented by the sponsor on the day, the locally-based Kilcolgan Castle, a decent prize fund of €5,000 was on offer and attracted a start list of 33 to Mark Duffy’s venue where his brother Paul Duffy was on course-designing duty.