KELLY TAKES ANOTHER WIN WITH LOUGH FOYLE

Army rider Captain Michael Kelly has made a very strong start to the first half of the season, having won three legs of the HSI Chippison Spring Tour, he has followed them up with victory in Sunday's Longines Grand Prix at Ravensdale, the fifth leg of the TRM National Grand Prix League.

Again scoring with the Minister for Defences Lough Foyle, Kelly was one of eight combinations through to the jump off and on the son of Cavalier Royale, they recorded a time of 40.52 over Tom Holden's jump off track.

Having been leased to the Army Equitation School, Lough Foyle has taken some very notable wins on the Irish circuit having been crowned Champion in the Irish Horse Board Showjumping Series as a 7 year old.  He then went on to Grand Prix success at Killossery last October in the Autumn Grand Prix League and followed that by the aforementioned wins in the Chippison Spring Tour earlier this year.

Gerry Campbell provided himself with a very notable placing taking second with Kengere Ltd's Catch Me If You Can.  The pair, who are regulars on the Grand Prix circuit, took a rare placing with a fine double clear just short of Kelly's time in 40.61.

Mervyn Clarke's moves into the lead following third place with Liam Kennedy's KEC Lightening Strikes.  This follows a win with this Stallion at Cavan and a second with Money Train at Kill last week to move him out on his own at the head of the leaderboard.

Dermott Lennon's stable rider, Angela Percy slotted into fourth with Vites B's while Sarah Cleary picked up the Pegus Horse Feeds Leading Young Rider prize by finishing fifth with What A Cruise.  Frank Curran and New World took sixth.

The next leg of the TRM National Grand Prix League takes place with a double header at Ballinamona and Ballivor on the 11th and 12th June while next weekend sees International action take centre stage with the CSI2* Show at Mullingar which also forms part of the TRM/SJI Premier Series.

TRM National Grand Prix - Ravensdale
€3,000 kindly sponsored by Longines
1st Lough Foyle(Capt. Michael Kelly)00 40.52
2nd Catch Me if You Can(Gerard Campbell)00 40.61
3rd KEC Lightening Strikes(Mervyn Clarke)00 41.22
4th Viles Bs(Angela Percy)00 44.42
5th What a Cruise(Sarah Cleary)YR 00 45.72
6th New World(Frank Curran) 04 40.55

8 into the Jump off
36 starters

Pegus Horse Feeds Leading Young Rider - Sarah Cleary

O'NEILL AND CASSIDEE STORM TO GRAND PRIX SUCCESS AT KILL

Ger O'Neill and Mervyn Clarke share the lead on the TRM National Grand Prix League following the fourth leg at Kill International on Sunday when the pair took first and second in the Allianz sponsored Grand Prix.

From 62 starters a total of 13 made it through to the jump off over Tom Holden's Course and what ensued was a very fast and exciting jump off. 

From the first starter in the deciding round, Nicola FitzGibbon and Puissance, who put in an emmaculate clear round and they set the early standard at 38.83.  Following them was the first of the Young Riders that made the jump off Robert Harrison and Team Harmony Chelto Z.  They set a tough standard which proved very difficult to beat.  They made a gallop to the last and stopped the clock in 37.21 to take the lead.

This is where Harrison stayed for quite some time as others attempted to challenge his time.  Edward Doyle and Samgemjee came closest shortly after Harrison's round to put them into provisional second place in 38.62. 

Ger O'Neill then entered with Ger O'Brien's very exciting 7 year old stallion Z Wellie 72.  The pair made strong attempt to overtake Harrison at the head of affairs, however, they fell just short with another double clear round to put them into fourth place provisionally breaking the beam in 37.43.

Harrison remained in front until Cavan Equestrian Centre's Mervyn Clarke entered the ring with his own Money Train.  The grey gelding by Coronado, showed plenty of speed and all his carefullness to record another double clear in a time that put him ahead of Harrison's recording 36.19 on the clock. 

This was then followed by an anxious wait, where several combinations recorded good times but had faults.  It was last in, Ger O'Neill and Cassidee who proved to be the one to watch.  The pair showed a lot of pace over the opening three fences, and then took a stride out over the next distance.  From there, the pair came through the double and get up the gallop to the last to be clear and take the win stopping the clock in 34.80.

This win moves O'Neill to 18 points and he is joined by Mervyn Clarke, who took second, at the top of the Leaderboard ahead of the next leg at Ravensdale next Sunday.  The early leaders, Robert Harrison and Team Harmony Chelto Z were good enough for third place on the day and they also picked up the prize as the Leading Young Rider from Pegus Horse Feeds.

TRM National Grand Prix - Kill Result
€3,000 Kindly sponsored by Allianz
1st Ger O'Neill/Cassidee 0/0 34.80
2nd Mervyn Clarke/Money Train 0/0 36.19
3rd Robert Harrison/Team Harmony Chelto Z 0/0 37.21
4th Ger O'Neill/Z Wellie 72 0/0 37.43
5th Edward Doyle/Samgemjee 0/0 38.62
6th Nicola FtizGibbon/Puissance 0/0 38.83

Pegus Horse Feeds Leading Young Rider - Robert Harrison

MERYVN CLARKE TAKES HOME WIN WITH LIGHTENING STRIKES

Home advantage came to the fore when Mervyn Clarke claimed the third leg of the TRM National Grand Prix League on Sunday at his family's Cavan Equestrian Centre.

Riding Liam Kennedy's Stallion KEC Lightening Strikes, Clarke was the best of the 10 jump off combinations in the E3,000 class sponsored by the venue.

With the recent wet spell of weather, the Main Arena was moved inside to the new Indoor Arena.  Clarke proved an easy winner with the son of Come On.  The pair recorded a double clear round in a time of 40.54 to leave them with four seconds to spare over their nearest rival.

Trevor Breen was the rider that came closest to Clarke's time with Peter Boardman's Andino Z.  They were the second of four double clear rounds with a time of 44.88 which was good enough for second.

Kerry based rider Sinead Kennedy made her long journey worthwhile when slotting into third place with her father's KEC Alligator Alley.  The younger sister of the winning owner, Sinead steered this son of Aldatus Z to a steady clear in order to pick some valuable points and prize money in a time of 47.96.

Peter Smyth recorded the final double clear with The Windmill Master in a time of 52.23 to take fourth.  Smyth also sixth with the very exciting Corrib House.

Possibly the most unlucky of all proved to be Clem McMahon with Sean Mulkern's Minnie Clover, who recorded the fastest time of the class in 40.16 but had a fence of the floor in the process.  However, their result was good enough to give them fifth place. 

TRM National Grand Prix - Cavan Equestrian Centre Result
€3,000 kindly sponsored by Cavan Equestrian Centre

1st Mervyn Clarke Jnr/KEC Lightening Strikes 0/0 40.54
2nd Trevor Breen/Andino Z 0/0 44.88
3rd Sinead Kennedy/KEC Alligator Alley 0/0 47.96
4th Peter Smyth/The Windmill Master 0/0 52.23
5th Clem McMahon/Minnie Clover 0/4 40.16
6th Peter Smyth/Corrib House 0/4 47.36.

10 through to Jump off.

CHIPPISON CHAMPION GERARD CLARKE FOLLOWS ON WITH VICTORY IN BARNADOWN

Recent HSI Chippison Spring Tour Champion Gerard Clarke followed on his good run of form with a win in the second leg of the TRM National Grand Prix League at Barnadown on Sunday.

Riding his own Colorado, Clarke who also picked up the Pegus Horse Feeds rug for being the highest placed Young Rider in the top 10, he recorded one of just 3 double clears to collect the majority of the €3,000 on offer from Bloxham Stockbrokers, in a time of 36.50.  The Young Rider from County Meath also recorded the fastest time of the day but with a fence on the floor with his other mount in the Jump Off, Horseware Kellswater Crimson and they picked up prize money for fourth place.

Reigning National Show Jumping Champion Eddie Moloney was another to take two places in the top six when taking second with Tom McGurk's Macushla R and fifth with his own Dante Van De Noordhuvel. 

Edward Doyle took third with the very exciting stallion Samgemjee with the last double clear round of the day.  This horse has been travelling with Denis Lynch of late and has returned to Doyle for the remainder of the breeding season.  His double clear in 40.65 was good enough for Doyle and the Ramiro B Stallion to take third place overall.

Finally in sixth place was the 11 times National Grand Prix Champion Francis Connors with Westwinds Cirracruise.  He follows on from his win at Thomastown last weekend to add to his points tally.

The TRM National Grand Prix League continues this Sunday at Cavan Equestrian Centre.

TRM National Grand Prix League - Barnadown
€3,000 kindly sponsored by Bloxham Stockbrokers
1st Gerard Clarke/Colorado 0/0 36.50.
2nd Eddie Moloney/Macushla R 0/0 38.09.
3rd Edward Doyle/Samgemjee 0/0 40.65.
4th Gerard Clarke/Horseware Kellswater Crimson 0/4 35.17.
5th Eddie Moloney/Dante Van De Noordheuvel 0/4 36.64.
6th Francis Connors/Westwind Cirracruise 0/4 39.88

Pegus Horse Feeds Leading Young Rider is Gerard Clarke

Moloney Rides to Victory in the Second Round of the TRM Premier Series

After a disappointing defeat to Dublin in the Hurling Championships, National Champion Eddie Moloney restored Kilkenny’s pride when taking the honours in the second round of the TRM Premier Series Grand Prix League today at Coilog Equestrian Centre (Monday). Riding John Mc Donald’s Chatsworth Dan, Moloney crossed the line almost eleven seconds faster than his closest rival Peter Smyth. Placed eighth in the first round at the Horseware Louth County show the week before, Moloney added another ten points to his existing tally. Overall it has been a good weekend for Moloney as he took fifth place with Dante Van De Noordhuuvel in the first round of the TRM National Grand Prix league the day before in Thomastown.

Peter Smyth’s decision to play it safe paid off, as a fault free round in 44.57 was enough to claim the runner-up spot with Hermione IV . Similar to Moloney, Smith was also in action in Thomastown the day before and had claimed sixth place with the Windmill Master.

Placed second and third in Thomastown, Ger O’ Neill continued his good show of form with the ever- consistent eight-year-old stallion Cassidee, when lodging a clear in 44.73 for third place, while Lisa Rosbotham and Valent slotted into fourth place when clear, in 51.36.

Clare rider David Blake put in a solid performance with Ronnie Hollinger’s   Camiro De Haar, however despite a gallant attempt to take the winners rosette, Blake had to settle for fifth place when clocking 39.05. Formerly campaigned by Paul O’ Shea, this 11-year-old Chellano Z stallion is a relatively new mount for Blake but already has demonstrated good form this year when taking third place at the final round of the HSI Chippison Spring Tour and a fifth place at the first round of the TRM Premier Series.

Winner of the qualifying round and the first leg of the TRM National Grand Prix, Francis Connors was keen to complete the hat-trick of wins. However, things did not go according to plan as the Waterford rider crossed the line with four faults in 36.12 for sixth place.

TRM/ShowjumpingIreland Premier Series Grand Prix
Kindly sponsored by Coilog Equestrian Centre
1.Eddie Moloney/Chatsworth Dan 0/0 43.63
2. Peter Smith/Hermione Iv 0/0 44.57
3.Ger O'Neill/Cassidee 0/0 44.73
4.Lisa Rosbotham/Valent 0/0 51.36
5.David Blake/Camiro De Haar Z 0/4 35.55
6 Francis Connors/Lundy Lad 0/4 36.12
7.Michael Kelly/Lough Foyle 0/4 36.56
8.Anne Marie Fitzpatrick/Finders Keepers 4/-
9.Thomas O'Brien/Dunsoghly Jnr. 4/-
10.Gabriel Tunney/Ace High Mike 4/-