In a bumper week of international showjumping news, we bring you plenty of top-flight action including Harry Charles securing his ticket to the World Cup Final, and we were thrilled to see Laura Renwick winning her first grand prix since recovering from serious injuries sustained in consecutive falls. Then not a week goes by without mention of Daniel Coyle and his incredible winning streak.
Read on for a round-up of this week’s showjumping news and results from around the world.
Showjumping news: “The beginning of a very successful story”?
Swiss superstar Steve Guerdat landed the penultimate leg of the Longines FEI World Cup Western European League in Bordeaux, France, with exciting 11-year-old mare Is-Minka. He was joined on the podium by 22-year-old Frenchman Jeanne Sadran (Dexter De Kerglenn) in second with young British star, 24-year-old Harry Charles, third on Sherlock, securing his ticket to the World Cup Final in Saudi Arabia in April.
Steve, a three-time World Cup title-holder, described the victory as “so exciting”, on this Mylord Carthago mare who was due to be sold last year, but Steve’s father-in-law stepped in to secure her future with the 2012 Olympic champion.
“We had a bit of bad luck with a lot of four faults in our first five-star grands prix, but today she showed what she’s capable of and it’s only the beginning of a very successful story for her!” he said. “The track was pretty tough – it started with two big jumps and that really backed up the horses, and then the triple combination [fence six] was very difficult but Is-Minka is a very good combination jumper and she showed that today.”
Three riders lost their chances here, including two falls, one from world number one Henrik von Eckermann and Calizi, although he later reported that both he and the mare were none the worse for the experience.
Harry Charles agreed that the first-round track was “relentless” but was delighted with his La Coruna victorSherlock, whom he hopes to take to the final.
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“He should have been clear in the World Cup last week in Amsterdam, he just had a small mistake at the last jump, but I’m happy to have put it right this week and I’m very proud of him,” said Harry. “He’s still very new at this level and he felt pretty at ease around there so I have good hopes for the future.
“I saw Steve’s jump-off round and he made it look a lot easier than it was. I thought maybe I could get him but then I realised quickly after the first three jumps ‘I don’t think I’m actually close’, so I just tried to leave the jumps up. Sherlock needs another few rounds at this height going at that speed to really get it. But I couldn’t have asked for more.”
Sunday’s Audi grand prix was won by home rider Julien Epaillard on Donatello D’Auge, with Irish riders Denis Lynch in second on Brooklyn Heights and Jessica Burke third on Nikey HH.
US-based British rider Grace Debney jumped to CSI2* grand prix glory on the grass Derby field at Equestrian Village in Florida riding 13-year-old Diamant De Semilly mare Zarina De Vidau.
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Grand prix success for Debney on comeback mare: “I never have to wear spurs”
Also in this week’s showjumping news, US-based British rider Grace Debney jumped to CSI2* grand prix glory in week four of the 2024 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) on the grass Derby field at Equestrian Village in Florida. Riding 13-year-old Diamant De Semilly mare Zarina De Vidau, the 20-year-old US-based rider topped an 11-way jump-off
“My horse is naturally super fast,” she said. “I walked a plan and talked about it with a few people, but I felt like I should stick with it. A couple of people had different ideas but I know my horse really well because I’ve had her for five years.
“I was definitely worried about Tom Wachman and Mark Bluman – Mark had my time, so I was definitely sweating a little. She’s so quick though, I never have to wear spurs on her because she’s always just going and you can’t really beat that footspeed. She actually won this grand prix two years ago and then she was out last WEF, so it’s just really nice to have her back.”
Tom Wachman for Ireland finished nearly two seconds adrift on Coolmore Showjumping’s 15-year-old Lazzaro Delle Schiave.
WEF’s $62,500 Hérmes CSI4* 1.50m classic resulted in a one-two for Ireland, led by Shane Sweetnam on new ride Irandole Du Flot.
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Irish one-two in Florida
WEF’s $62,500 Hérmes CSI4* 1.50m classic resulted in a one-two for Ireland, led by Shane Sweetnam on new ride Irandole Du Flot (Vivaldi Du Seigneur x Ogano Sitte), ahead of Cian O’Connor with Eve D’Ouilly, after a 14-way jump-off at WEF.
“This horse has had a great week,” said Shane. “She only did her first 1.50m class at the end of last year so to be this competitive already against this standard of horses shows how good she is. It’s a great class because it’s not a grand prix, but it’s a top class. You can really judge where your horse is experienced and where they need more education, whereas a grand prix is a very tough class, so if the horse is inexperienced they can get lost.
“They learn a lot in these 12 weeks of circuit and it’s great to have options like the grass and the international ring throughout the season,” added Shane, who was awarded the Martha Jolicoeur leading international rider award.
Showjumping news: Renwick makes winning grand prix return after injury
British rider Laura Renwick accumulated some eye-catching results on home soil last week and transferred that winning form during the first week of the Spring Tour in Valenica, Spain, claiming top spot in the CSI3* grand prix with a typically scorching round aboard the former Ben Maher ride Enjoy CK Z, owned by Charlotte Rossetter and Pamela Wright.
This was a welcome comeback for Laura, who only returned to the ring last summer and has been rebuilding her string after two consecutive falls put her out of action — in the first fall she broke her pelvis and femur, then she later broke her neck and was off for a further three months.
“I’m not sure I believed I would ever be able to win something like this again after my injuries, but this mare has given me everything,” she said of Enjoy. “It was a silly fall on the flat and I didn’t really think I’d hurt myself — I thought I’d hurt my arm and hit my head but when they did an MRI, they found a fractured bone at the top of my neck.”
Showjumping news: Daniel Coyle wins the $100,000 Wheels Up grand prix at the World Equestrian Center on Ariel Grange’s Quintin. Credit @Andrew Ryback Photography
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Daniel Coyle makes it a big-class hat-trick
No stranger to H&H‘s showjumping news pages at the moment, flying Irishman Daniel Coyle landed his third big win in as many weeks when, now back in the USA, he topped the $100,000 Wheels Up grand prix at the World Equestrian Center, finishing first and second with Farrel and Quintin respectively.
“Leopoldo Palacios is the best course-builder there is,” said Daniel. “The most difficult for sure, but most people like that. I was lucky because I was able to go first on Quintin. He has a bigger stride, but Farrel is fast in a different way – he’s handy, neat and tidy in the way he jumps. I knew I had a good round on Quintin, but I also knew I could do a whole lot more with Farrel.”
The Irishman is hoping to represent Ireland at the forthcoming Longines League of Nations at the same venue.
“Legacy just got back here, so she’ll have a little break and she’ll start to work her way up and hopefully if everything goes well, we can get selected to jump,” he said.
Showjumping news: “I’m grateful for the entire team that makes wins like this possible”
US-based British showjumper Amanda Derbyshire credited her whole team for her four-star win with grass specialist Otto BH at WEF, Florida.
“He’s a great horse and the 1.50m is kind of his level, so I use him when I can,” said Amanda, who also finished fifth in the grand prix riding 16-year-old Cornwall BH.
“I’m grateful for the entire team that makes wins like this possible, and I love riding on this field, so I always save him for this. He’s fast, careful and very catlike and economical in his jump.
“He has a big stride so you can go forward to the fences, especially with this big field on a long run,” she added. “You can really dare him at the jumps, knowing you don’t have to slow up too much because he’s going to try to clear them.”
Paul O’Shea and 16-year-old Emerald gelding Imerald Van’t Voorhof lifted the $215,000 MARS Equestrian CSI4* grand prix at WEF, Florida.
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Paul O’Shea: “He feels as good as ever” at the age of 16
And finally in this week’s showjumping news round-up, there was further Irish success when Paul O’Shea and 16-year-old Emerald gelding Imerald Van’t Voorhof lifted the $215,000 MARS Equestrian CSI4* grand prix at WEF, Florida. Nineteen-year-old Mimi Gochman finished second with a double clear on Holsteiner mare Celine BH for owner Gochman Sport Horses.
“He’s been a super horse for me; he’s done amazing things over the five years we’ve been together,” said Paul. “We jumped double clear in the Nations Cup at Hickstead which was a big thing for me because I always watched Hickstead growing up. He also won the Queen’s Cup in Spruce Meadows and he won the five-star grand prix at the Palm Beach Masters so he’s done a lot of really good things and he feels as good as ever.”
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Jennifer is passionate at showjumping and her role as H&H’s showjumping editor has taken her around the world reporting from shows and interviewing riders, connections and those involved behind the scenes. Since joining H&H from BBC Sport in 2005, she has written on every subject across the equestrian sphere — from turnout rugs to stable management — and has interviewed gold medallists, world champions and winners galore. She also has first-hand experience of working in the equestrian industry as a riding instructor and yard manager.
