Lennon earns big slice of the cake at Olympia
Aboard the 10-year-old Irish draught gelding Ginger Watt, the World Champion picked up the maximum points in a time of 50.43 seconds for his first victory at London’s annual festive extravaganza.
In doing so, he denied Robert Smith (Kalusha) a hat-trick by a mere 0.16 of a second, the Briton having won Saturday’s World Cup qualifier and pre-qualifier on Friday.
Dutch-based Lennon had also featured in Saturday’s showcase competition, placing fourth on Liscalgot.
The Co Down rider showed his consistency when one of six to make it to the jump-off from a starting line-up of 32. However, four faults from the Touchdown mare meant he had to settle for the minor placing.
Smith (Marius Claudius) was emphatic in victory, beating German Lars Niesberg (Adlantus AS FRH) by almost three seconds, both riders the only two to finish faultless.
Ireland’s Peter Charles four faulted in round one on Corrada to place equal seventh.
Earlier yesterday, Switzerland’s Beat Mandli emerged victorious over France’s Michel Robert in the clash of two of horse riding’s most stylish riders in the Sony Ericsson Masters
In the crowd-pleasing “winner-takes-all” competition the duo were the only two to survive the first four rounds and go into the deciding fifth and final round. The competition runs to five rounds, at the end of which if there is a draw, time decides.
Mandli had the advantage of going last and, while the Frenchman did well on his final appearance with the young gelding Galet d’Auzay, the Swiss ace went into the arena knowing what was required.
Mandli, riding L.B, needed a clear round in less than 29.51 seconds and achieved that comfortably, knocking more than two seconds off his rival’s time to pocket the £14,000 purse.
Britain’s Di Lampard and Abbervail Dream, who got as far as round four, tied for third place with Germany’s Lars Nieberg on Rulanda.
The show concludes tonight with the Sony Ericsson Grand Prix.
In Genova (correct) Conor Swail and Robert Splaine were in the money at the weekend. Co Down rider Swail and Parlando proved faster than Splaine with Springfield Ohio on Friday in a speed class.
It was the first of two runner-up slots for Splaine on the day, the Corkman later denied on Clonola Moll by Roberto Arioldi (Loro Piana Lemato). The Italian also accounted for Swail in the next competition, the Meath-based rider half a second adrift on Edward Cawley’s Windgates King Koal for second place.
