Bourns leads Ireland to clean sweep

Show jumper Andrew Bourns led a clean sweep for Ireland in Sunday’s $50,000 Hermès Derby at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival in Florida.

Just three-hundredths of a second separated the Galway rider and his compatriots Darragh Kenny and Shane Sweetnam in a further indication of Irish prowess ahead of Friday’s nations cup.

In a competition that saw faults converted to time, Bourns and the nine-year-old grey stallion Gatsby — purchased four months ago and brought over from Ireland only recently — were third to go and clear in 138.27 seconds. Two rounds later, Corkman Sweetnam and Spy Coast Farm’s diminutive Little Emir stopped the clock in 134.30 seconds, but a rail down pushed that out to 138.30 seconds. Offalyman Kenny and Hays Investment Corporation’s Any Given Sunday also had the pace, but a refusal at the devil’s dyke saw the pair complete in 138.29 seconds over a stamina-testing course.