Studbook Series gets under way at The Meadows

A total prize fund of €9,500 was on offer at The Meadows in Co Armagh on Sunday for the first leg of the Irish Sport Horse Studbook Series.

The five-, six- and seven-year-old qualifiers kicked off the series on Saturday, with the finals being held on Sunday.

A total of 15 combinations started in the seven-year-old final, with seven duos making it into the jump-off.

Mikey Pender took the win, jumping double clear in a time of 41.38 on Tim Brennan’s mare GCS Athena. This mare is by Vigo D’Arsouilles (BWP) out of MHS Attraction (ISH) and was bred by Olivia Brennan.

Runner-up Diarmuid Ryan couldn’t catch Pender’s lightning fast time, finishing clear in 44.28 seconds aboard his own Corraghoe Steel, with Niamh McEvoy and Richard MeEvoy’s Lisboy Louie taking third.

Thirty-seven combinations lined out for the five-year-old final, with 16 of these jumping clear and making it through to the jump-off. Fourteen jumped a second clear round across the Tom Holland-designed course to split the €3,500 prize fund for this class.

The six-year-old final saw 17 horses take to the arena, with nine jumping clear in the first round. Seven of these combinations went on to jump double clear rounds and split the €3,000 prize fund.

It was a hugely successful weekend for Mikey Pender, who also took the National Grand Prix on board Gortlettra Loui after a clear round in 39.02 seconds. Pender finished fractionally ahead of runner-up Deane Rogan who stopped the clock clear in 39.15 with De L’Oiseliere. Third place went to Clem McMahon on Hilton Banner.

Grand Prix win for Butler

Following up on his two-star Grand Prix win on board Chilli B in Belguim, Meath’s Alexander Butler landed a second two-star Grand Prix win last weekend, this time partnering the 16-year-old mare Athene at Peelbergen, The Netherlands.

The combination finished on top after an eight horse jump-off, with almost a second to spare over the runner-up, Sweden’s Petronella Andersson with Claptonn Mouche.

Meanwhile, at the five-star Dutch Masters in ‘s-Hertogenbosch (Den Bosch), Tipperary’s Denis Lynch and the 14-year-old stallion Cristello won Saturday’s 1.45m class. Lynch finished just ahead of USA’s Laura Krautwith Constable II.