Ireland’s Jonathan Gordon and the 10-year-old mare Dorotheental’s Classica stormed to victory in Sunday’s two-star Grand Prix at Lier, Belgium.
One of nine combinations in the jump-off, Mayo-born Gordon crossed the line clear in 36.63 seconds to win.
He has almost a second to spare over Dutch runner-up Sanne Thijssen with Con Quidam DB. Third place went to Italy’s Antonio Alfonso and Charmie.
Winter Equestrian Festival
In the USA, Co Down’s Conor Swail and GK Coco Chanel finished third in the three-star $137,000 Restylane Grand Prix in Flordia.
British Olympic team gold medallist Ben Maher and the 18-year-old stallion Tic Tac won the competition. The English rider had just one one-hundredth of a second to spare from Canadian Eric Lamaze with Fine Lady 5.
Offaly’s Darragh Kenny and Emmerton were eight in the same class, going clear in the jump-off in a time of 46.65 seconds.
On Saturday, at the WEF, Irish riders took 4 places in the top-five in the $37,000 FEI CaptiveOne Advisors 1.50m Classic.
Shane Sweetnam and Ideal were second to McLain Ward and Contaigous. Cork’s Sweetnam also took third place with Indra Van De Oude Heihof. Bertram Allen and Giolita were fourth, with Darragh Kenny and Vinci De Beaufort came fifth.
