Good results for Irish riders during week five of the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Florida, continued on Sunday when Paul O’Shea won the 1.50m Grand Prix with Imerald van’t Voorhof.
The Co Limerick native, who has been based in the United States since 2011, was drawn last to go of the 11 riders who progressed to the jump-off from a starting field of 43. He stopped the clock on 36.84 to win with Tequestrian Farms’ 10-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding.
Riding Vanessa Mannix’s GJ Coco Chanel, Co Down’s Conor Swail finished second on 38.24 while Co Meath’s Jonathan Corrigan slotted into fifth with Twin Oaks Stables’ Irish Sport Horse gelding Loughnavatta Indigo, a nine-year-old by Luidam.
“I had the advantage of going last, which was obviously a big help because when I walked the jump-off, I didn’t know if there would be seven strides to the double or eight strides to the last,” said O’Shea. “But then after seeing Becky (Conway) and a few other people go, it was really there and that was a big help today.”
Regarding Imerald van’t Voorhof, which he has been riding for a year, O’Shea commented: “He is owned by the Tisbo family and I am very grateful to them for letting me ride him. Lauren was here to watch him and support us.
“He is extremely scopey and brave and has a massive stride. That was useful today with the long gallops, like down to the double. To be able to really open him up, his stride and scope was a big help to the last fence.”
At home, the first leg of the 2018 Connolly’s Red Mills/Showjumpers Club spring tour, which was held on Sunday at the JAG Equestrian Centre near Naas, was won by Dungannon’s Frank Curran riding Heffron Equine’s 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Oliver Twister.
