Sunday, 8th May, 2005 - Barnadown, Gorey, County Wexford

This Grand Prix report by: Tara Dunne

There was a field of sixty-one starters in the Lux Z Grand Prix at Barnadown last weekend but Alan Wade's technical 1.40m track soon thinned out the numbers. A tight time allowed kept the pressure on while a line from a vertical with a water tray, to a triple bar, to an oxer left many riders leaving the ring with poles on the ground.

Steven Smith, in at number two, was the first to leave the course intact but he came home just outside the time allowed and finished with two time faults. Edward Lyttle and David Prentice's Pulserate soon followed with a footperfect clear and Ryan Crumley and Baltimore ensured there would be a jump off when they negotiated the course without fault.

Paul O'Shea was next to earn a place in the jump-off putting in a classy performance with the impressive The Patriot and quick to follow suit was junior rider Sarah Agnew with the Selle Francais gelding, Hooker de Chanteau, in only her second Grand Prix to date.

A clear round remained a difficult feat then for a while with quite a few of the more experienced riders getting caught out. Edward Doyle and Spendido, a new mount for him, put in a good round despite Doyle operating with a broken collarbone but he left the ring as an unlucky four faulter.

Young rider, Greg Broderick, regardless of a textbook performance with Iman D'Occagnes, picked up a time fault and Jack Doyle also proved unlucky with Owen II when he had a pole down on the way out of the combination. Sarah Kate Quinlivan had to be content with her victory in Saturdays Mini Grand Prix when she too picked up four faults when Newmarket Girl left the second part of the double on the floor.

Clem McMahon was next to gain a spot in the jump-off making it look very easy with the stallion Gelvin Clover and he was followed by Edward Doyle on his second mount, Orieta.

Again the clear rounds were spread out until Cian O'Connor entered the ring with Gain Dot Com, previously campaigned by Scottie Barclay. Last to go, Clem McMahon provided the final clear with Hermes de Reve leaving eight through to the jump-off.

First in for the jump off was Edward Lyttle and he set the standard with Pulserate, a clear round in a time of 38.94. Ryan Crumley was quick to take the lead though, with plenty of luck at the first part of the double, he crossed the finish clear in 37.82.

Paul O'Shea went for a steady round but two on the floor left him out of the final line-up. Sarah Agnew unfortunately had the first fence down and decided to take it handy for the rest of the way but another fence on the floor meant she too finished out of the placings.

Clem McMahon (Gelvin Clover) was next to enter the ring and it was clear from the off that he intended to take on the time. Keeping up a good pace and his turns tight he stopped the clock at 37.64 and took the lead.

Next to go was Edward Doyle who repeated his flawless performance from the first round but took Orieta slowly for eventual sixth place.

All that now stood between McMahon and the victory was Cian O'Connor and he was determined to catch the time setting off at a blistering pace which he kept up the whole way around. Leaving all the fences up he and Gain Dot Com went into the lead shaving 0.47 off McMahon's time. But still left to go was McMahon with his second mount, Hermes de Reve.

McMahon kept the pressure on from the moment he went through the start beams and it looked close right until the end, but with the course intact he crossed the finish in a time of 36.55 and snatched the victory.

The next round of the IJM Grand Prix League will be at Cavan Equestrian Centre on Sunday, May 15th, 2005.