IRISH SHOWJUMPER DARRAGH Kenny won the $500,000 (€432,000) Bainbridge Companies five-star Grand Prix at Wellington International, Florida, on Sunday.
Offaly man Kenny, aboard Eddy Blue, triumphed in a field that included six of the top 10 riders in the world at this prestigious Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) event.
Nine horses — with riders representing five nations — competed in a tie-breaking jump-off, with Irish Olympian Kenny and his 14-year-old gelding setting an uncatchable target of 41.77 seconds in the penultimate slot.
Kenny heaped praise on Eddy Blue afterwards, saying: “He’s been second and third here [at WEF] and placed in a lot of five-stars, but to finally win one here is really deserving for the horse. He’s an incredible athlete. He tries so hard every time he goes in the ring, and I am really proud of him and how he competed tonight.”
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Assessing his and Eddy Blue’s victorious performance in the jump-off, in which he left a stride out in the first line, Kenny added: “Eddy Blue is a very careful horse, so I can take a bit of risk with him.
“The relief of winning tonight was quite big. He’s a championship-type horse because he wants to leave the jumps up every day.”
The Florida-based Kenny returned in February after serving a four-month suspension for testing positive for a prohibited substance at the European Championships, which he attributed to prescribed medication for ADHD.
Sunday’s victory was Kenny’s second five-star success of a week that also yielded victories at the four-star event in Vejer de la Frontera, with Niamh McEvoy seeing off Billy Twomey in the Grand Prix, 24 hours after Ciarán Nallon had also earned victory.
James Chawke was a three-star winner in Thermal, while Mark McAuley completed a hat-trick of Grand Prix triumphs for Irish athletes by securing the top spot at the two-star feature at St Tropez Gassin Polo Club.
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Irish showjumper Darragh Kenny wins $500,000 Wellington five-star Grand Prix in Florida
IRISH SHOWJUMPER DARRAGH Kenny won the $500,000 (€432,000) Bainbridge Companies five-star Grand Prix at Wellington International, Florida, on Sunday.
Offaly man Kenny, aboard Eddy Blue, triumphed in a field that included six of the top 10 riders in the world at this prestigious Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) event.
Nine horses — with riders representing five nations — competed in a tie-breaking jump-off, with Irish Olympian Kenny and his 14-year-old gelding setting an uncatchable target of 41.77 seconds in the penultimate slot.
Kenny heaped praise on Eddy Blue afterwards, saying: “He’s been second and third here [at WEF] and placed in a lot of five-stars, but to finally win one here is really deserving for the horse. He’s an incredible athlete. He tries so hard every time he goes in the ring, and I am really proud of him and how he competed tonight.”
Assessing his and Eddy Blue’s victorious performance in the jump-off, in which he left a stride out in the first line, Kenny added: “Eddy Blue is a very careful horse, so I can take a bit of risk with him.
“The relief of winning tonight was quite big. He’s a championship-type horse because he wants to leave the jumps up every day.”
The Florida-based Kenny returned in February after serving a four-month suspension for testing positive for a prohibited substance at the European Championships, which he attributed to prescribed medication for ADHD.
Sunday’s victory was Kenny’s second five-star success of a week that also yielded victories at the four-star event in Vejer de la Frontera, with Niamh McEvoy seeing off Billy Twomey in the Grand Prix, 24 hours after Ciarán Nallon had also earned victory.
James Chawke was a three-star winner in Thermal, while Mark McAuley completed a hat-trick of Grand Prix triumphs for Irish athletes by securing the top spot at the two-star feature at St Tropez Gassin Polo Club.
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