Australian Kevin McNab has won the Connolly’s RED MILLS CCI4*-S at Millstreet International Horse Trials.
Kevin, whose sympathetic horsemanship is always a joy to watch, was fastest across the country (3.6 time faults) with Sonia Moltke and his wife Emma’s nine-year-old Oldenburger Faro Imp (by F One USA out of a Master Imp mare) and clinched the win, having led throughout the competition. They finished on 32.8, after adding just 0.4 show jumping time faults the day prior.
“Faro Imp has a real natural motor and travelled very well,” said Kevin. “I had one or two green moments with a young horse [Cassie in the CCI2*-L], but she will have come out of it a better horse when she finished.
“We always try to have horses to come here because we know we will get good surfaces and Mike Etherington-Smith’s cross-country courses are always educational and a nice challenge,” he explained. “There aren’t many better cross-country tracks in the world and that is why we come to Millstreet every year.”
Kevin and Faro Imp were recently second in the Strzegom CCI4*-L in Poland and are now bound for the Aachen CCI4*-S in Germany (4-5 July) where they are part of the Australian Nations Cup team.
Kevin and his less experienced horse, Wilfred Lancer, incurred a run-out and 15 penalties for a missed flag to drop from third to 22nd in the CCI4*-S.
Kevin was also second in both the CCI3*-S and CCI2*-L with Newmarket Amy (finishing on a dressage score of 29.3) and Chanel Rf (finishing on a dressage score of 30.7) respectively. Kevin also placed 30th with Cassie in the CCI2*-L, who was leading the dressage but as he mentioned had a cross country hiccup; the pair then finished the event jumping clear in the final phase.
Strong results for Isabel English
Fellow Aussie Isabel English also had a great event, finishing fourth and fifth with Cil Dara Dallas (43.3) and Cil Dara Bombay S (44.6) respectively in the CCI4*-S. Both were clear of jump faults across both phases, with just cross country time added to their dressage scores. Isabel was also fourth in the CCI2*L on Cil Dara Dynamic on a dressage score of 33.6.
Isabel and Cil Dara Dallas will next head to the CCI5*-L at Longines Luhmühlen Three Day Event in Germany from 12-15 June, alongside fellow Aussies Samantha Cesnik and Graftango, and Andrew Cooper riding Sharvalley Thunder. Olivia Barton and Shane Rose will also be competing at Luhmühlen in the CCI4*-S.
Aussie Olympian Andrew Hoy placed 11th in the CCI1*-Intro with Aaron Copland, adding just one jumping rail and 0.8 cross country time faults to finish on 35.8.
Full results from Millstreet International Horse Trials can be found here.
For those wanting to re-watch the action from Millstreet, head to ClipMyHorse.TV.
Patrick Whelan crowned Irish National Champion
Rising eventing star Patrick Whelan was crowned Irish National Champion after a strong finish as runner-up in the CCI4*-S.
The inaugural Connolly’s RED MILLS EI120 National Championship title is awarded to the highest-placed member of Eventing Ireland in the class.
Patrick, 28, from Murrintown in Co Wexford, has had a good month, completing his first Badminton in 36th place. At Millstreet, where he was riding owner-breeder Seamus Carew’s Altitu, he rose from seventh after dressage with a clear showjumping round and the second-fastest cross-country time of four penalties.
“He’s a really consistent horse who is rarely out of the ribbons,” said Patrick of the 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse by Orestus VDL with whom he was a member of the winning team in last year’s FEI Nations Cup at Millstreet.
“I’ve been competing him since he was six and have hardly ever had a bad day as we’ve come up through the levels. We’re off to Luhmuhlen (five-star) next, which is all part of the natural progression.”
Ireland-based British rider Daniel Alderson was third in the CCI4*-S on Islandwood Quality Control.
Gemma Stevens wins CCI4*-L and CCI3*-L
Britain’s Gemma Stevens enjoyed a brilliant weekend at the Millstreet International Horse Trials, Co Cork, Ireland, winning both the Noel C. Duggan Engineering CCI4*-L and Goresbridge Horse Sales CCI3*-L on a smart pair of Cooley Irish-bred horses that show exciting potential.
She landed the CCI4*-L on Pru Dawes’s handsome grey Flash Cooley, a 13-year-old bred by Jim O’ Neil by CSF Mr Kroon out of an OBOS Quality mare. The pair led throughout, finishing with a clear show jumping round to stay ahead of Brazil’s Marcio Cavalho Jorge (Royal Encounter) and Italy’s Giovanni Ugolotti (Duke of Champions). Aoife Clark was best Irish rider in fourth on Full Monty de Lacense.
“It’s such a relief because I’ve been second in a CCI4*-L four times,” said a delighted Gemma. “Two years ago we came second here at Millstreet with a fence down and it was a sore subject. This really puts it to bed, along with a disappointment at Badminton.
“Flash Cooley was off last year with an injury, but he has come back so well, especially on the flat. He is a super little horse.”
Gemma triumphed in the CCI3*-L on TJM Equestrian’s “extremely talented” Cooley Park Muze, a clear show jumping round keeping them comfortably ahead of fellow Briton Caroline Harris, who rose two places to second with a fault-free round on Lester Ckv. Robbie Kearns was best of the home side, also rising two places with a clear, to third place on Sorella Blue.
Ireland’s Ben Connors, who had been third after cross-country, slipped to fifth place with a rail down on OLS King Aragon and cross-country runner-up Jack O’Haire (Jamaica Rose) dropped to 11th with 13.2 penalties.
In addition to Cooley Park Muze, a nine-year-old Irish Sport Horse by Pollux de Muze Z who only started eventing two years ago, Gemma has another thrilling prospect in the Chilli Morning son Chilli’s Jester (out of Mary King’s King’s Gem), ninth in the same class. “These horses are keeping me in the sport,” revealed Gemma, who also competes regularly in showjumping.
There was a popular home victory in the Donagh Hickey Motors CCI2*-L for Irishman Robbie Kearns riding Belline Thistle Bethelastime, a seven-year-old by Grafenstoltz out of a Kannan mare bought by owner Richard Ames as a yearling from the breeder, John Brodie.
Robbie’s clear round put the pressure on overnight leader Giovanni Ugolotti (Magherard Candy), who was left with no margin for error and dropped to third with just one rail down. Australia’s Kevin McNab, already a winner this weekend, rose to second on Chanel Rf.
Robbie, who is stable jockey to Richard Ames, has produced the attractive grey mare since she was five. “We always thought she had so much talent,” he said. “She fell on the flat at Le Lion d’Angers last year, so this feels like setting the record straight.”
Pony rider Hugh Kelly, 16, impressed in the Connollys Red Mills CCIP2-L with a mature performance on Bronagh Kennedy’s seven-year-old mare Fairyhouse In A Pickle, having added nothing to his dressage score over the three days.
Cross-country leader Kitty Cullen on Coppenagh Spring Sparrow finished second with one showjumping rail down.
Carla Williamson, 16, who won the Pony class at Millstreet last year, led throughout the Carr & Day & Martin CCI1*-Intro on her new ride this season, Ann Magee’s Karolita O, a 10-year-old Dutch warmblood mare by Firestone.
The other short-format sections saw victories for Joseph Murphy riding Austin O’Callaghan and Amanda Torrens’s Barberstown Castle Rehy in the Foran Equine CCI3*-S; Alison Holden with Eamon Holden’s Lates Eddie in the Eventing Ireland CCI2*-S; and American rider Hallie Coon in the Coral Cove Championships for young horses on the Irish Sport Horse Boleybawn Olivia.
“It has been another great weekend of sport at Millstreet,” said event director and host Thomas Duggan. “We are thrilled that so many international competitors want to come here to educate their horses and enjoy the superb courses and footing here, and that it has been such a successful showcase for the Irish Sport Horse.”
Source: Event press release / edited by EQ Life
