In this week’s international showjumping news round-up, Irish showjumper Mikey Pender enjoyed an outstanding run of success, while Amanda Derbyshire posted a winning streak of her own, including on a very exciting new stallion.
This was a week where a strong Irish contingent was absolutely flying, but so was Guy Williams in Spain. Read on for our weekly round-up of showjumping news from around the globe, plus results.
Showjumping news: Pender’s week to remember
Irish showjumper Mikey Pender saluted the crowd in delight after his flying finish on his great partner HHS Calais secured victory in the Longines CSI5*-W grand prix at the HH Sharjah Ruler Cup in the UAE. This victory with the Bravo Hughes-owned son of Cavalier Royale, bred in Ireland by Ita Brennan, sealed a marvellous run of success for the 24-year-old Hickstead Derby-winning rider.
Mikey started the week by filling the top two placings in the grand prix qualifier, topping the leaderboard on HHS Calais and slotting into second on Al Shira’aa Stables’ 10-year-old stallion Chacco Bay. Mikey went on to win Sunday’s winning round on Chacco Blue, before triumphing on his Rome Nations Cup and Riyadh grand prix winner HHS Calais after a formidable 14-way jump-off.
“I went over there for six weeks, building up the horses, and that was the perfect way to end,” said Mikey, who was part of Ireland’s second-placed team in the new Longines League of Nations the week before on Calais. “You’re going there to win those big five-star grands prix, so to pull it off on a horse who is in great shape, jumping well, is what it’s all about.
“He jumped very well the week before in the League of Nations so I was quite hopeful.
“Chacco Bay jumped his first five-star grand prix last week – he had two down but I was very happy with how he jumped – then he was second on the first day here and won his 1.55m on Sunday. So he improved and he felt like he jumped even better – he’s very exciting.”
Continuing the Irish domination, Hickstead-based Shane Breen and home-bred Scarteen (Cardento x Chellano Z) finished third to Mikey with a super double clear in the horse’s first five-star grand prix and Shane won Saturday’s speed class with 16-year-old Z7 Ipswich.
Great Britain’s Amanda Derbyshire enjoys a winning streak in Florida.
Amanda Derbyshire’s horse-buying trip pays off
US-based British showjumper Amanda Derbyshire claimed a string of national and international wins on her first visit to TerranNova Equestrian Center, Florida, combining a horse-buying trip with a bucketful of success in the ring. As well as national success, Amanda claimed a 1.45m victory on Otto BH before heading the grand prix with the 12-year-old and finishing third with a new ride, the eight-year-old stallion Destine To Be.
“It was fast today,” said Amanda after the grand prix. “There were 13 in the jump-off so I knew speed was going to matter. I did one stride less to the double, he’s got a big stride and he’s careful, and it all worked out in my favour.
“It was Destine’s first FEI week so I’m probably more excited about him, that was a fast double clear stepping up.”
Showjumping news: first grand prix victory is “everything and more”
Making the showjumping news headlines at the World Equestrian Center, Ocala, Florida, was Mexico’s Carlos Hank Guerreiro, posting a first ever grand prix victory riding H5 Sporthorses’ H5 Porthos Maestro WH Z. Rain couldn’t dampen the competitive spirit in the CSI3* $100,000 Coca-Cola Beverages Florida grand prix over tracks set by Colm Quinn.
“My trainer Eduardo Menezes told me there were only five in the jump-off so I might as well go for it,” said Carlos. “We wanted to test the horse a little bit. He’s still green, and this was his first real big jump-off. My horse is very fast naturally, you just let him go and he is just eager to canter forward.
“He’s an amazing horse,” he added. “I got him as a seven-year-old who was quite green. He was produced by a very young rider from Belgium, who took him to the children’s European Championships then to the Belgium national championships at 1.45m. We saw him there and purchased him shortly after.
“From then on, he’s just done everything and more that we’ve asked of him. We stepped up to this level last year and he’s had a few good placings, but never in the podium and never a win, so I couldn’t be happier with him. He did everything and more out there tonight.”
In second was Daniel Coyle on new ride Incredible, with third place going to another Irish representative in Tom Wachman on Coolmore Showjumping’s Berlux Z. Tom had won Thursday’s grand prix qualifier on Cathalina S and had simultaneously been competing at the Winter Equestrian Festival, where he won an under-25 class on nine-year-old mare Obora’s Laura.
Philip McGuane finds winning form on the Winter Equestrian Festival.
A career best win for a little mare with a big heart at WEF
There was no stopping the Irish in this week’s showjumping news and it was Philip McGuane on board the Evergate Stables’ Orphea HQ who recorded a career best in the Winter Equestrian Festival Challenge Cup, held on the grass Derby field.
“Philip has developed a really strong partnership with Orphea,” said owner Nayel Nassar of the mare who has been with Evergate Stables since a seven-year-old. “It’s been really cool to see him come into his element, get more competitive, and dig in for these kinds of classes because we always knew he was capable.”
Philip joined Evergate Stables to produce their young horses after riding for Switzerland’s Beat Mandli and US rider Katie Dinan.
“Orphea is not very big herself, but she has a big heart,” he said of the Emerald mare. “She knows where the jumps are, and as long as I don’t make a mistake she’s always there. I just need to get her anywhere near the jumps to be honest.”
Spanish success: Ernie flies to victory
On week two of the Andalucia Sunshine Tour in Spain, one of the show’s big winners was Guy Williams, who landed Sunday’s CSI4* medium tour grand prix on the 12-year-old Emerald son, Ernie Of Greenhill Z. On the Moura Tour in Valencia, Sandy McLean scored in a 1.45m with his great partner Gino F.
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