The outdoor Grand Prix season was an exciting one with the final event being billed as the biggest battle of the season as Sarah Kate Quinlivan and her one little mare did battle against Cian O'Connor and his team of International horses.

The final showdown was at Pilltown in County Kilkenny on a Thursday in September - the crowd grew as the time came closer for the Grand Prix finale and everyone was enjoying the bright sunshine and last of the summer's warmth - but it didn't last and as the Grand Prix began the rains came down, lashing the huge crowd who grabbed for jackets and umbrellas - but those lucky enough to have grabbed ringside seats were not risking losing them and they stayed put to watch the ensuing battle.

Pat Hutchinson was in charge of Course Design for this all important final round and he set the riders and horses a challenge over a long course which saw many of the starters simply run out of "puff" as they came to the last third of the very tall and wide course. Some suggested it was a little easier because of the heavier rails but these heavier rails gave no advantage to most - the horses had to jump up and over to go through clear.
Cian O'Connor came into this final round sitting in second place on the leaderboard by 8 points - he is seen left walking the course and in deep discussion with his army buddies while Sarah Kate Quinlivan, the leader coming into this final battle, walks the course - below - with her mum!
Fourteen of the forty three starters challenged for the jump off in conditions which improved greatly when the lashing rain disappeared as quickly as it had appeared -

First to go in the jump off was Olive Clarke and the incredibly talented Hands Free - pictured below left - and they negotiated the first part of the course well but sadly finished with four faults when the fourth last fence fell and they stopped the beam at 34.84secs setting a standard as this was a very fast time!

Tholm Keane qualified two through to the jump off and his first horse was Ronan Tynan's Warrenstown You 2 - pictured below right - and they jumped a super clear round in a cautious time of 42.90secs setting a new standard.
The camera shy Richie Moloney and Ian Smythe's Early Days - pictured below - were next out to challenge for the first place money and they shaved an amazing amount of time off the previous competitors when they came through the finish flags with everything in place and the clock stopped at 32.61secs!
Joan Greene and Brian Cash's Cavalier Choice - pictured far right - were next to have a go but a fence fell early in the jump off track giving Joan 4 faults but she still clocked up an excellent time when the clock stopped at 35.82secs.

Denis Coakley and Noel Kavanagh's handsome black stallion were looking great until
the dreaded last fence fell which saw them leave the arena with four faults in 33.34secs! They are pictured below left.

Linda Russell and her own Anyway 33 - pictured below - were another combination who were well on track to win this class until again the last fence fell and they stopped the clock with 32.42secs.

Tholm Keane and his second ride for this jump off didn't fair quite so well when Ronan Tynan's Krafty Jack tapped out two fences to finish with 8 faults but again with a very good time of 33.07secs.

So at the halfway mark we had only two clears in this all important jump off and they came from Tholm Keane and Warrenstown You and Richie Moloney and Early Days, with Richie provisionally in the lead at this stage.
Provisionally sitting in third at this stage was Linda Russell and her own Anyway 33 as the fastest of the four faulters - but this was only the halfway mark and anything could and would happen with the final seven still to go...................................................................
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