First out in the 8 fence jump off was Steven Egan and they finished with just four faults when fence 10C (third fence from the last) fell - their time was 41.94secs.

Cian O'Connor and Gain Dot Com - pictured below left - also finished with 4 faults when the second last fence on course fell and their time was slow when they had some turning issues on course giving them a time of 45.65secs.

Captain David O'Brien was third to go in this jump off with the Minister for Defence's Ringfort Cruise - pictured above right - didn't have the round of their dreams when fourth fence on course (number 8 - a tall oxer) fell and the final fence as well (the wishing well vertical) giving them 8 faults in 42.80secs.

Heather Purcell was next out and this young lady ate up the jump off course coming through the finish flags with everything in place in 42.42secs giving us the first clear in this jump off with Castleroche Red October - pictured below left.

Eddie Moloney also clocked up a clear with John McDonald's Chatsworth Dan, just pipping Heather's time with 41.15secs provisionally putting them in the lead at this point.

Ronan Corrigan and Coolree House Stud's Citizen Lord - pictured below - also came through the finish flags with everything standing but their time left Eddie in the lead at this time as they stopped the clock at 42.36secs which slotted them at this point into second position.

Fiona Campbell and Mill Heights - pictured below left - was next to go, but perhaps they were a little overwhelmed by the company they were keeping this Grand Prix jump off and the wheels fell off just a little but they finished with a very respectable 12 faults in 47.94secs.
Next out was Nicola Fitzgibbon, freshly returned from a very successful tour of Hickstead with the exceptionally talented 8 year old Andiamo gelding, Puissance. This horse has not even begun to shift up a gear yet as he makes the courses look like training rounds. They completed their jump off round
so calmly and easily, appearing to just cruise around the course but when they stopped the clock they had everything left in place and their time of 40.05secs put them provisionally in the lead. They are pictured below left.
Four left to go - and next out was Captain Gerry Flynn and Mo Chroi - pictured below - and they too left everything in place, taking the lead as the clock stopped at 39.38secs.
Captain Flynn was not to hold his lead for long when Olive Clarke and Spitfield - pictured below - blitzed their way around the jump off to stop the clock at 39.09secs with all fences standing!

And now we had two to go - and they were the two who had the most to gain and lose from the result of this leg of the series - Cian O'Connor sitting in second place on the league table - he went on Irish Independent Echo Beach but today was not to be their day when they lowered fence 10B and then had a refusal at 10C giving them 7 jumping faults in a time of 48.00secs, which would keep him out of the placings today.

Last out was the leader of the League by a slim

margin, Sarah Kate Quinlivan but today was also not to be their day when they lowered 10C and the penultimate fence 3 to finish with 8 faults in 37.75secs which also kept them out of the placings today. But with Newmarket Girl - pictured below left - and Cian O'Connor and his team of horses not making the places today the leaderboard stayed the same!

The final placings were:

1st - Olive Clarke - Spitfield
2nd - Capt. Gerry Flynn - Mo Chroi
3rd - Nicola Fitzgibbon - Puissance
4th - Brendan Ryan - Sarahs Sparkey E
5th - Eddie Moloney - Chatsworth Dan
6th - Ronan Corrigan - Citizen Lord

 

The next and final leg of the IJM Outdoor Grand Prix League will be held this Thursday at Iverk Show in Piltown, County Kilkenny with the class listed to start at 2pm.

jumpingaround.com will be there to cover the event and bring you all the colour and excitement of what will no doubt see Cian bring his three top horses to and Sarah Kate will be there with her very consistent little mare, Newmarket Girl - it really will be a David and Goliath battle to the last!

Page One - Page Two

This is Page Three

Back to News Index