Othello takes centre stage at Ballindenisk
Amazingly, it was the London Olympian’s first international win, and it came in a drama-filled competition that saw Briton Oliver Townend relinquish his grip on the €50,000 Goresbridge Go For Gold bonus when among seven of the 11-strong field that exited in Saturday’s cross-country phase.
Summing up, Mullingar native Murphy said yesterday: “Sometimes, when it’s your week, it’s your week,” he said, adding that “my very first three-day event was in Ballindenisk and I fell off in the show jumping, so, it’s nice to win the big one”.
But his self-effacing explanation was not quite accurate, as the Co Down-based rider and the 12-year-old son of Ricardo Z were the class act in Saturday’s cross-country and well within their comfort zone.
The upshot was that Murphy was the last man standing, chased by three members of the opposite sex in yesterday’s deciding show jumping phase.
Competing in reverse order, Ireland’s Louise Bloomer and Goodwins Glory were first into the arena, producing a clear but, with a total of 67.8 penalties, proving no threat to overnight leader Murphy, on 50.8pens. Britain’s Jonelle Richards and Classic Moet also left all the fences upright, finishing on 55.8 penalties, leaving Murphy with two fences in hand.
However, another Briton, Izzy Taylor, turned the screw when clear with Thistledown Poposki to finish on 53.2pens and leave the leader with no room for error. It proved academic, however, as he kept his cool to finish off the event in style with a clear.
Murphy admitted a certain nervousness in the run up to yesterday’s show jumping, but said it worked to his benefit.
“You feel a bit of anxiety, but I was happy that was the case today, as sometimes I get relaxed, that’s my nature. It helped me ride better being under pressure,” said Murphy, who had previously finished second at Ballindenisk on Electric Cruise, the horse that carried him to 14th place in last year’s Olympics.
Townend came to Ballindenisk seeking to repeat his 2012 victory with Imperial Master and earn a €50,000 bonus. However, the omens were not good when, as the pathfinder on the course, he fell from his second ride ODT Ghareeb, and the fears of the supportive crowd were realised when he suffered a run-out early on with Imperial Master, opting to retire and end his bonus bid.
Townend was stoic and declined to cite the injury to his shoulder suffered in the fall for his disappointment with Imperial Master.
“I just hope they repeat the bonus, so I can have another shot next year,” he said, again praising the Ballindenisk organisers, the Fell family, and Goresbridge’s O’Donohoes for the innovation.
The short-format three-star was one of only two classes won by foreign raiders, with Britain’s Pippa Funnell jumping double clear on Second Supreme to finish on 39.6pens. It gave her a generous cushion over Patricia Ryan on 54.6pens, the Bandon rider making a successful international return on Tullineaskey Hi Ho after fracturing her pelvis in March. Her husband Michael rode Ballylynch Skyport to fourth place on 58pens, with Ireland’s Melanie Ashe (Rathmoylan Flight) slotting into third on 56.4pens. Sam Watson used up his two-fence cushion in the show jumping of the long-format two-star on Imperial Sky, but his 46.2 penalties kept him 0.8 ahead of Oliver Townend, riding ODT Quizzical.
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