Shortt finally relishes sweet taste of success
Firstly, the long: event rider starts competing at age 14 in 1980. Three years into a career spanning a quarter of a century, lines out in first three-day. Spends next 22 years seeking her first three-day win.
Secondly, the Shortt: Sue, for that his her name, acquires new horse. THREE weeks later, in typical fairytale fashion, wins Dartfield International Horse Trials, thus breaking 25-year spell with new love, nine-year-old gelding Karamea Dublin.
The above may be facetious - in that I ask your forgiveness - but I’m sure it would appeal to Sue Shortt, one of the country’s most respected event riders and one with an unbridled sense of self-deprecating humour.
For example, minutes after winning the two-star CCI at the Irish Examiner-sponsored event in Loughrea, the Sydney and Athens Olympian quips: “If I had Karamea for six weeks, he probably would have come fourth. I’d have ruined him.”
Yesterday, the Kilkenny-born, Kildare-based woman reflected on what it meant to have come second 11 times in three-day competitions before actually winning one.
“It’s great to have won, but, as for it taking so long, it wasn’t something I was hung up on. Eleven seconds is better than 11 thirds, I was just happy that I was consistent, so, I wasn’t under pressure. It’s great to win under any circumstances, but, you do your best and second or third in Dartfield would still have been good on a horse I only had for three weeks,” she said.
Here’s some advice, though, don’t get her started on Karamea - owned by Kieran Connors - unless you have lots of time.
“He’s not far off the best horse I’ve ever ridden. Certainly, he’s the most talented in all three phases. He’s an all-round event horse and it’s very hard to find a horse with everything,” she said of the son of Laughton’s Legend, who stood in New Zealand and is by Laughton’s Flight.
“Last weekend, he did his dressage so well. He was very clever on the cross-country, he’s just so honest. In the show jumping, you could have put them up another three holes and he would have still been clear. He is scopey, but he also has a conscience; he does not want to hit them,” she said of the gelding previously competed by Swedish event rider Paula Tornqvist.
In pointing to his show jumping, Shortt was spot on. Having placed fifth in the dressage at Dartfield, she matched the British leaders in providing a clear cross-country to stay in contention.
But it was in Tuesday’s final phase that the pairing stood out, Shortt’s cool head and Karamea’s extravagant show jumping taking them to the top of the pile, as the main contenders fell by the wayside. When the dust-settled, the highly-experienced Nigel Taylor found himself in second place, having left two on the ground. Similar scores for Mary King (Apache Sauce) and Rodney Powell (Jocko) relegated them to seventh and eighth. In mitigation of Powell, he had that day been forced to withdraw his overnight leading ride Zinzan, following an over-reach injury. The high attrition rate among the British contingent saw Irish riders move up the line with show jumping clears, Sarah Ennis (Nearly A King) placing third, her time separating her from Taylor, after both finished on the same score.
As for Shortt, not surprisingly, the 39-year-old is upbeat about the future, one in which she hopes Karamea will play a big part. After a few one-days in Ireland, she is pencilling in stints at Cherbourg and Boekelo, where she hopes to qualify him for next year’s world championships. The plan is that he will be a replacement for her top ride, Just Beauty Queen, with the Beijing Olympics the long-term target.
Karamea, meanwhile, has been revealed to mean caramel in Swedish and, summing up, Shortt said: “Yeh, he’s real sweet.”
IRELAND’S show jumpers got half way up the mountain in St Gallen, Switzerland, last Friday, finishing equal fifth in the nations cup.
However, despite the improved performance, they still languish bottom of the Samsung Super League, having finished last in the league’s first two rounds. With 3.5 points, they are one behind second-last Belgium and will be hoping to replicate last year’s third place in Rotterdam, where they line out next week in the fourth leg of the league.
Jessica Kürten, riding Castle Forbes Maike, was the best of the Irish in the Swiss contest, posting one of only four double clears.
She brings her top horse Quibell into the fray in Rotterdam, following his recent world cup exploits, but she may also call on Maike again. Joining her will be Harry Marshall (Splendido, Ado Annie and All Shook Up) Captain Shane Carey (Lismakin and Killossery Kruisita), world champion Dermott Lennon (I Caesar, Condios and Artist) and Clement MacMahon (Gelvin Clover and Hermes de Reve). Chef d’equipe is Eamon Rice.
EQUESTRIAN journalist Grania Willis last Sunday made good on a promise to scale Mount Everest, when doing so by the demanding north ridge. It is a remarkable achievement for The Irish Times correspondent and former three-day event rider, who spent many years as editor of the Irish Horse World section of The Irish Field.
The 49-year-old Willis aimed to raise €200,000 on behalf of St Luke’s and the Irish Hospice Foundation.
She is expected to return to Ireland tomorrow. Knowing Willis, celebrations are guaranteed to reach heady heights in line with her latest achievement.
lSARAH KATE QUINLIVAN’S good run of form continued unabated last weekend, the Kanturk rider achieving her third consecutive grand prix win.
Her latest triumph aboard Billy Daly’s Newmarket Girl came at Mullingar, where she provided the only clear round in Sunday’s feature class.
The penultimate rider in the first round, spectators were denied a jump-off as the 34 other starters failed to better Alan Wade’s 1.40m course and the sticky going. Harry Marshall and Splendido finished with three faults to take the runner-up prize, while Alex Duffy, still eligible for the 148cm divisions, four-faulted with Iris De Bateau for third place.
Quinlivan was catapulted to the top of the IJM TimberFrame Grand Prix League, where she remains, despite not featuring in Monday’s second Mullingar grand prix. The first super league contest of the season, saw 18 go to the post, victory going to Steven Smith and Laraghlease Western Desert.
The win sees Smith make his 2005 league debut in fifth place. Quinlivan heads the posse on 30 points, but Marshall on 26 and Cian O’Connor on 24 will be doing their best to halt the Cork rider’s march.
Quinlivan’s triumph, meanwhile, was part of a double for the family at Mullingar, where Cork riders notched up four wins.
Her sister Danielle was also on target, winning the 1.30m class on Newmarket Venture, while the €3,000 Midland’s Classic 1.20m final was won by Phillip Horgan on Norma Lucey’s Faithfully Hopeful.
Ciara Ennis topped the leaderboard in the 148cms AB Gain Qualifier on Two Tone Tom.
