Lynch practically assured of a place in Rolex World Cup final
The Tipperary rider had set early qualification as a goal at the start of the series and yesterday’s performance left him equal fifth in the Western European League on 42 points. In previous years, this has proved good enough for a place in the final, which takes place next April in ’s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands.
Lynch and Lantinus were among a large contingent of 16 to make the jump-off, in which the lead changed hands several times. Eighth to go, he moved into pole position, but his lead was short-lived, with France’s Patrice Deleveau (Orient Express) taking over, followed by Sweden’s Rolf-Goran Bengtsson (Casall La Silla), before Brazil’s Alvaro Miranda galloped to a winning time on AD Ashleigh Drossel Dan when last to go.
A single first-round error kept Niall Talbot and Nicos de la Cense out of the shake-up, while Jessica Kürten and Stal Poels’s nine-year-old gelding Vincente scored an unlucky 13 faults.
On Saturday Lynch ensured Ireland its second victory at the show, adding first place in a 1.50m accumulator with the eight-year-old stallion Contifex to a winning performance on Thursday by Dermott Lennon on Judith Sossick’s Loughview Lou Lou.
Meawhile, Billy Twomey crowned an impressive year by winning the International Rider of the Year Award at the 2011 Show Jumpers Ball in Naas, Co Kildare, on Saturday.
The Corkman again proved his prowess recently by winning the Rolex Top Ten in Paris, a class that, as its names suggests, features the world’s top 10 highest ranked riders.
Twomey opened his year with two superb grand prix wins in Switzerland and later put in a determined bid for honours at the European Championships, as well as featuring on the runners-up nations cup teams in Aachen and Dublin . He currently lies third in the Olympic rankings and is in line to win one of possibly two individual slots for Ireland in next year’s Games.
Ireland’s European gold medal-winning children on horses team lifted the Team Of The Year Award, under the management of Comdt John Ledingham, who was named Coach of the Year Award, as well as taking the Hall of Fame Award.
The Clarke family of Cavan Equestrian Centre, picked up the Special Achievement Award, while the Horseware Ireland Louth County Show won the Show Of The Year title.
The Young Rider of the Year accolade went to Michael Duffy, with Alexander Butler named Rookie of the Year, and Martin Wilson selected as the Amateur of the Year.
The Groom of the Year is Oonagh Kennedy, and the Ballymaloe Ladies’ Award was won by Sinead Thompson.
