Swail and Flynn top leaderboard in Athens grand prix
County Down rider Swail and the eight-year-old Dutch-bred chestnut gelding Rivaal provided the only double clear to deny Flynn, who had the faster time, but at a cost of four faults with Mo Chroí.
But for Georgio Nuti (Leconte), Ireland would have had a top-three, with the Italian relegating Captain Shane Carey to fourth place on African Drum in a competition that saw 10 go to the starting line.
It was Swail’s second grand prix win in a row at Athens, the Malahide-based rider and Rivaal topping the pile at last Sunday’s two-star show.
Swail’s latest win brought to six the number of top prizes taken by the Irish this weekend in the Greek capital, including a facile win in Friday’s nations cup.
Earlier yesterday, Captain Carey and Hands Free had more than three seconds to spare in a speed class.
On Saturday, David Quigley and Ashdale Futuro won a 1.40m two-phase class by almost half a second, while Cameron Hanley and SIEC Concept placed second in a jump-off class.
At the four-star show in Linkoping, Sweden, Jessica Kürten notched up four faults in each of two rounds with Jipey Dark to place seventh of 24 starters in the grand prix.
At the Horse of the Year Show in Birmingham, Billy Twomey provided one of four clear rounds with Whinny Jackson to finish third place in the Speed Horse of the Year contest.
The Corkman was one-and-a-half seconds off the pace set by Ellen Whitaker.
Earlier, yesterday, Twomey teamed up with Sue Davies’ eight-year-old mare Wertherroschen to place fourth place in a 1.45m two-phase class.
On Saturday, Cian O’Connor notched up his latest puissance win with the 14-year-old grey gelding Casper.
The Meath-based rider shared the prize money with Britain’s Robert Whitaker on Finbarr V and Ben Maher with Eperlan du Fouquet after agreeing not to go forward to a sixth round.
O’Connor and Casper won the puissance competition at this year’s Dublin Horse Show.
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