RHYS Williams and Cowboy Balou won the fourth round of the National Grand Prix at Barnadown on Saturday.

Sponsored by Cooley Farms, the Gain/Alltech 1.40m class attracted a field of 72 combinations of which just nine had a first round clear to progress to the decider.

Time played a large part in the first round with half-a-dozen riders collecting a single time fault to prevent them progressing in the class.

Kevin Gallagher was pathfinder in the jump-off aboard Max O’Reilly Hyland’s eight-year-old BP Limitless (Elvis Ter Putte x Laughton’s Flight). The duo were unlucky to have a single fence down for four faults in 40.51 for eventual sixth place.

Edward Doyle Jnr withdrew from the jump-off with Quick Bill so next to go was Junior rider Coen Williams riding the 10-year-old Conthanja PS. The pair left all the fences up, crossing the finish in 40.59, which would be good enough for fourth place.

Gallagher and his second mount Baloys PS then collected eight faults. James Brennan and the nine-year-old mare MHS Grand Slam (Quidam Junior x Cavalier Royale) got things back on track with a fault-free round in 41.43 for fifth place.

Tara Glynn and her own 10-year-old Belgian-bred gelding Inschalla C Z then produced an impressive clear in 39.21 to claim the runner-up spot.

Cathal Daniels was next in aboard Cappog Tomy. They too left all the fences up but in a slightly slower time of 39.28 for third place.

Williams and Cowboy Balou had the advantage of being the penultimate pair in. They used this to their advantage and a calculated, well thought out clear round in a very fast time of 37.96 saw them claim the victory.

Last to go, Elaine O’Neill and Keith Ennis’ Olympic GL FVD had one fence down for four faults in 44.78.

The next round of the Gain/Alltech league takes place tomorrow (Sunday May 14th) at Kernan’s Equestrian Centre.