Live Show Jumping returned to Irish television screens last Friday evening as the Horse Sport Ireland Masters served up a thrilling competing to RTE viewers across the nation and it was a Waterford owned and bred horse who took the Waterford Crystal winners trophy back to the Deise for Carmel and Dermott Ryan.
From Grange Park Road in Waterford City, Carmel and Dermott Ryan have been huge supporters of Show Jumping for decades as owners and breeders and have had huge success around the world with horses such as Royal Concorde, Carmena Z and now Compelling Z who was previously produced by Waterford's Peter Moloney from Colligan, Dungarvan.
Dermott and Carmel Ryan holding the Waterford Crystal winners trophy at their home in Waterford city following victory for their horse Compelling Z in the Horse Sport Ireland Show Jumping Masters.
The Christmas-themed event attracted a host of Ireland’s top stars along with athletes from Britain, Canada and the Middle East. The 30 starting riders knew before the competition that only the top eight combinations would be going forward to the second round.
A clear second round in 41.44 seconds saw Breen and the 10-year-old stallion Compelling Z claim victory. Along with taking the lions share of the €20,000 prize fund, the Tipperary rider drove away in a new Overlander 2-stall Horse Truck.
Second place went to former World Champion Dermott Lennon from Co Down with L’Esprit Hero Z when clear in 42.54. Another Tipperary rider, Denis Lynch, took third spot with GC Chopin’s Bushi, owned by Onyx Consulting Ltd with a clear as last to go in 42.58. Lynch arrived home to Ireland in a rich vein of form having claimed a big win at Reisenbeck in Germany just a week ago.
Sligo’s Richard Howley and Arlo De Blondel finished fourth in 39.78, while Carlow’s Jason Foley took the leading Young Rider prize when fifth with The Irish Sport Horse (YR) Castlefield Vegas.
The Horse Sport Ireland Show Jumping Masters was sponsored by Devenish, Showjumping Ireland, The Underwriting Exchange, GAIN and Overlander.
