Kennedy sees victory slip away as Sheffield takes top two spots
Twenty-year-old Kennedy went into yesterday's showjumping phase with a slim lead over Sheffield, having produced one of just three cross-country clears inside the time on Saturday to steal the lead from British rider John Paul Sheffield.
In pole position yesterday and last to go she was further cheered as the Warrickshire rider extended her lead by knocking a fence each with Too Bahru and Brown Bear.
This gave her a fence in hand as she and her mount Hector Pascal approached the first obstacle on Tommy Brennan's course. She was quick to cash in her insurance policy, however, as the 10-year-old lowered fence two to groans from the audience.
The Wexford girl continued cautiously, giving vocal encouragement to her mount and, as she left each fence behind her intact, it looked like the Junior and Young Rider International would put her early aberration behind her and claim the competition, the first in the west of Ireland.
A lapse in concentration by Hector Pascal was to be the pair's undoing however, the slightest touch bringing the penultimate to the ground to end her challenge.
The performance added eight penalties to Kennedy's dressage score of 52.0 bringing her total to 61.20 and leaving Sheffield top of the pile with Too Bahru on 58.20, just 0.60 penalties better than the score of his runner up ride Brown Bear.
Kennedy afterwards admitted she was disappointed, but tried to take something positive from her horse's overall display. "It's his first two star and I'm delighted with his three-day performance," she said. "It's a pity but I'm happy and very proud of him."
Sheffield had nothing but good words for the inaugural international running of the Irish Examiner-sponsored Loughrea event, saying he was likely to return next year with Brown Bear.
Earlier in the day Howth rider Sarah Ennis exulted over the winning performance of Peninsula Camross, Denis Finn's 17.2hh German export carrying her to victory in the CCI one-star when finishing on his dressage score of 46.96.
Second went to Joseph Murphy, the Mullingar rider adding two time penalties yesterday to his dressage score with Ringford Ra Ra Ruby for a completion score of 52.35.
Murphy said that heading to Dartfield, he felt only Sarah Ennis could beat him and his Ashmount winner and, accordingly, he was not disappointed to finish in the runner-up position with the relatively inexperienced six-year-old mare.
In Chatsworth, England, Armagh's Sasha Harrison strongly boosted her chances of making the Olympic team when placing fourth with All Love Du Fenaud.
Harrison produced a solid dressage test, maintained her form on the cross-country and, but for four unlucky falls in yesterday's showjumping would have finished second in a competition won by Pippa Funnell and Primmore's Pride.
Chatsworth was one of two events, along with next month's Punchestown identified by the Irish selectors as a test prior to team selection.
Mark Kyle and Drunken Disorderly were the next best of the Irish finishing 14th.
Meanwhile, John Floody took the major share of the €7,000 prize money in the Peninsula Classic Grand Prix at Sutton, Co Dublin yesterday.
Floody had two in the jump-off, after only four horses made it past Tom Holden's testing track.
It was host Denis Finn's Peninsula Cherubin 8 that carried him to victory, Shane Breen (World Cruise) and Edward Doyle (Midnight Call) putting Floody down to fourth with Summerhill.
Floody's second grand prix win of the season gives him 25 points in the IJM TimberFrame League, just three adrift of leader of Breen.
