Single errors keep Irish duo out of the shake-up in Lyon

Single errors for both Denis Lynch and tyro Bertram Allen kept the Irish duo out of the shake-up in the grand prix in Lyon, France, yesterday.

Four faults for Tipperary’s Lynch came aboard the 10-year-old gelding All Star 5, while superstar-in-the-making Allen rued a similar score on Romanov.

Wexford rider Allen did not leave empty-handed from his first visit to the five-star fixture, having won a two-phase class on Friday with Ballywalter Farms’ Molly Malone V. The nine year-old grey mare also carried the 18-year-old to third place in a 1.50m speed class.

At the five-star show in Lexington, Kentucky, Richie Moloney from Kilkenny steered Slieveanorra to seventh place on a first-round score of four faults in the $250,000 grand prix, sponsored by the Irishman Pearse Lyons’s company Alltech. Moloney’s compatriot Jonathan McCrea and Special Lux finished 10th.

At the two-star show in Linz, Austria, a double clear from Thomas Ryan on Caribo put him fourth in the 1.45m grand prix, while zero scores for Niall Talbot on Nicos de la Cense put him third in the grand prix at Oliva, Valencia, Spain.

The penultimate leg of the Gain/Alltech Autumn Grand Prix League in Wexford saw Capt Geoff Curran gain his first win on board Mullaghbane. The Waterford rider has shown form with the son of Parco, including placing second in the Premier Series at Balmoral in July. This time, while he did not produce the fastest time, he was by far the quickest of the four double clears, proving three seconds better than runner-up Eddie Moloney on the seven-year-old Douglas Hill. Young rider Emma O’Dwyer (HHS Figero) and local rider Patrick Byrne (BGS Courage) also kept clean sheets to fill the minor placings.

League leader Capt Michael Kelly maintains his four-point advantage on Alexander Butler going into the final at Cavan International Show next Friday, Capt Kelly is bidding to be the first Army rider to win a national show jumping title.

Stallion OBOS Quality continues to stamp his name on Irish breeding, with one of his offspring, HHS Inspiration, winning the inaugural Irish Sport Horse Studbook Mare Championship at Equus Live 2013 in Punchestown, Co Kildare.

Fifteen mares aged three and four qualified for the final, with Kilkenny show jumper Marion Hughes, as owner and breeder of the three-year-old grey, winning €2,500. HHS Inspiration is out of the Balboa-sired Irish Sport Horse Inspiration.