McEvoy in Dublin dreamland
Tyrone tyro wins maiden five-star as Pender and Fortune shine once more
It was a Super Saturday for the Irish at a sun-kissed RDS, as the dominance of the Green Jackets at the 150th Dublin Horse Show continued with a third straight five-star double.
It started with Mikey Pender and the Marion Hughes owned-and-bred Irish Sport Horse HHS Fortune hitting the target for the second time in 48 hours by winning the Royal Dublin Society Stakes.
Next up, European Championship team silver medallist with the U21s, Niamh McEvoy announced herself in the senior ranks in style by bagging her maiden five-star victory in the prestigious Dublin Stakes with the talented ten-year-old Flora Du Mesnil (main photo above, all photos by jumpinaction.net).
As has become traditional now, Saturday evening in Ballsbridge was a heaving cauldron of excitement in the Main Arena, with the cream of the big wall jumpers lining up to whip the crowd into a state of hysteria in the Defender Puissance.
When the dust settled, it was Britain’s Rachel Proudley, an individual gold medallist at those European U21 Championships, who prevailed, Easy Boy de Laubry Z making 2.15m look like a garden gate.
Waterford’s renowned producer, Paddy O’Donnell was a valiant runner-up with Kilcorig Elysium (ISH), having showed tremendous heart to go clear in 2.10, with O’Donnell deciding not to ask any more of the Nigel Jackson-bred grey.
McEvoy was the star turn in claiming the feature in the early afternoon, however. The first round of the 1.50m class proved quite difficult and only seven combinations made it through to the jump-off.
And when it came to a test of speed, the 21-year-old Tyrone athlete and her equine partner were head and shoulders above the rest, clocking a second clear in 35.75 seconds.
Aga Khan Trophy winner, Willem Greve (NED) was best of the rest with Pretty Woman Van’t Paradijs, who stopped the clock well back on 37.08.
“I am really delighted,” said McEvoy, who would follow up with victory in the four-year-old Mo Chroi National Championships with Rich And Royal (below) and unleashes a plethora of young horses for the Ballypatrick operation tomorrow.
“It was a really special day and the horse was incredible so I’m totally delighted.
“I think she’s an extremely exciting horse. I’ve only had her for four shows and in the four shows, three of them were premiers and she won two of them. Now this is her third and she was brilliant today. I think she’s a special horse. She has a big heart and she’s really careful. And I think today she showed us all she has so much scope and jump as well, which is exciting enough.
“She has a brilliant mind and she’s a real fighter, a real mare. When you get her in the ring she’ll do anything for you and I think it’s a great characteristic as well.
“Dublin’s my favourite show and it was amazing it was my first ever five-star win so I’m on a high. Dublin is always the pinnacle of our year. I’ve jumped every year since maybe I was ten, so it’s a very special show with a lot of history.
“We all grow up of watching these classes and dreaming of jumping in them some day so that makes it even better.”
HHS Fortune is a speed demon around the 1.45 courses and the 14-year-old pocketed a second five-star of the week for Pender.
This was a tight affair and Richard Vogel (GER) held the advantage with a clear in 56.35 on Phenyo van het Keysersbos.
Pender and Fortune are just irresistible on this stage however, snipping a third of a second off the pace-setting mark to prevail with a time of 56.01.
“I’m delighted with how it went today, to win a second class at the RDS,” said the Castledermot man (in celebratory mood after the presentation ceremony above). “For us, it’s the most important show of the year so that is great.
“Hopefully we can have a good day tomorrow and I’m really looking forward to the Grand Prix.”
BREEDING
HHS FORTUNE (ISH) – 2011 mare by Catoki (HOLST) out of HHS Daisy (ISH) by ARD VDL Douglas (KWPN). Breeder and owner: Marion Hughes, Co. Kilkenny. Rider: Michael Pender (IRL).
KILCORIG ELYSIUM – 2015 grey gelding by Cornet Obolensky (BWP) out of Kilcorig Belle (ISH) by Camiro de Haar Z (ZANG). Breeder: Nigel Jackson. Owner: Alberta Capital Limited Conway. Rider: Paddy O’Donnell (IRL)
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