Lynch second in Leipzig

Show jumper Denis Lynch is almost assured of a place in the Rolex World Cup final following his second place in the qualifier in Leipzig yesterday.

The Tipperary rider and gelding Abbervail van het Dingeshof were among 10 to make the jump-off from 40 starters, and they proved the closest challengers to Christian Ahlmann, whose crushing performance with Taloubet Z saw a hat-trick for the partnership who took the Rolex title at the 2011 final and also won last year’s qualifier at the same venue.

Lynch’s runner-up slot earned him €30,000 and put him equal sixth in the Western European League and almost definitely on his way to the April final in Gothenburg, Sweden.

In the World Cup qualifier at Sharjah, UAE, Marion Hughes and Heritage HHS Fortunas placed fourth, while at the two-star show in Drachten, the Netherlands, Conor Drain rode Pour le Poussage to third.

In Florida, Shane Sweetnam proved best of the Irish in the weekend feature, the $50,000 Wellington Equestrian Realty Grand Prix, though four faults with Diktator van de Boslandhoeve kept him out of the shake-up in a class that saw victory go to the youngest competitor, 18-year-old American Reed Kessler on Ligist.

Tipperary’s Kevin Babington (Mark Q) put up five faults in round one, with Co. Down’s Conor Swail (Carlotta Singular), Dubliner Paul O’Shea (Instant Karma) and Kilkenny’s Richie Moloney (Carrabis Z) going out of contention on eight faults.

Also, the 17-year-old Irish Sport Horse Flexible was named the US Equestrian Federation International Horse of the Year for 2012. The Cruising stallion, bred by Edward and Catherine Doyle, won following a public nomination.