Mayo man nails it in the closing leg of the Longines Global Champions Tour
Ciaran Nallon was a five-star winner this week at Rabat’s closing leg of the Longines Global Champions Tour, during which he has been a consistently high achiever this year.
The Mayo man also helped his team to second in the last Global Champions League competition, with his team, Riesenbeck International, having already bagged the overall title.
There were a number of other strong performances from Irish riders in top level competition, with Denis Lynch in particular maintaining his stunning consistency to place second in Sunday’s Grand Prix and finish third overall in the individual standings.
The Tipperary rider and Kildare native Mikey Pender joined forces to finish third in the team contest and ensured that they would also take the bronze position in the overall standings.
At Lyon’s World Cup show, Mark McAuley posted two top-four results, including a brilliant third-place return in the Equita Masters and a fourth in the Grand Prix.
Elsewhere, Galwegian Jessica Burke was a dramatic winner of the three-star Grand Prix in Vejer de la Frontera, where Westmeath athlete Francis Derwin was a two-star victor.
The highlight for the Irish, however, was the duo joining forces with Dermott Lennon and Tom Wachman to win the Nations Cup for third year in a row, and the first under the stewardship of Jessica Kürten.
Meanwhile, also in Spain, Kilkenny pilot, Eoin Brennan, scored at two-star level in Oliva.
SENSATIONAL
Nallon delivered his sensational victory aboard Christians Carado, owned by Beerbaum Stables, in Saturday’s 1.50m Prix Ministère de la Jeunesse, de la Culture et des Sports, holding off a star-studded field in Rabat.
First to enter the arena in an 11-horse jump-off, the Ballymacredmond rider and his talented horse attacked the course with gusto, without compromising their accuracy. The pair set a blistering time of 39.65 seconds, which in conjunction with a flawless clear would prove impossible to beat. Some were quicker but could not navigate all the obstacles. Those that left the rails in place were not quick enough.
Italy’s Emanuele Gaudiano was the nearest challenger, with Nikolaj de Music. Producing another exceptional clear, Gaudiano stopped the clock in 40.26 seconds, just 0.61 behind the winner, to secure second place. Germany’s Christian Ahlmann was third with Diamantino.
“I honestly wasn’t expecting this at all, so it makes the win even more special,” said a smiling Nallon.
“To go first in the jump-off against so many incredible riders, you never really think your time is going to be enough, so I was just hoping I’d done enough to be competitive. To watch everyone else come in and not quite catch us was an unbelievable feeling. It really means a lot to me, especially at this stage of my career, and I’m so grateful to the whole team behind us that make moments like this possible.
“Rabat is an amazing event, the venue is incredible and the whole show is organised to such a high standard. To win here, against this level of competition, is something I’ll remember for a very long time.”
Nallon was also a major contributor as Riesenbeck International finished second at the end of the two speed competitions, just ahead of the New York Empire team of Lynch and Pender.
In the opening class, Nallon and Inglesias D.V. (EARL Global Dreams Stables & Jerome Lassime) jumped clear but picked up two time faults, and then, he came back out for the second class and went clear with Christians Carado.
The New York Empire team spearheaded by Lynch and Pender took the bronze medal. Lynch had three time faults in the first speed class with Cordial (Onyx Consulting Y Tipperary’s Finest) and followed up with a clear on his other 17-year-old marvel Brooklyn Heights. Pender made sure to keep the rails intact with two rounds of one time fault each on the Irish Sport Horse he owns and bred, Madgeslane Louis.
Nallon was ecstatic with the overall victory for his German-based team.
“I honestly struggle to find the words to describe what this means to me,” he declared. “This year has been absolutely indescribable, and to be part of a team alongside some of the biggest names in our sport, and to have been able to contribute to their success along the way, is a dream come true. To ride alongside the best riders in the world, with the support of the best management team, is an incredible privilege. It has been a year I will never forget, and an experience I will carry with me for the rest of my life.”
Lynch was pleased also. “First of all, we have had incredible support from our team owner, Georgina (Bloomberg), throughout the entire season, and that has been hugely important to us. Every single person in this team has a role to play, and everyone has given 150% from start to finish. I think this is our best championship result, certainly since I joined the team, so to finish third overall is something we can all be extremely proud of.
“Maintaining that level of focus and commitment throughout such a long season when everyone gives their absolute best, the results follow. I always compare it to a football team. You look to your left and to your right, and when you know you have great people beside you who are giving everything for the team, it makes all the difference. That is exactly the feeling we have at New York Empire, and I think that has been key to our success this year.”
LUCRATIVE
Nallon threatened to take out another big prize when making the jump-off for Sunday’s lucrative Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Rabat, where he was joined in the battle for a share of the pot and the prestigious title by Lynch and Harry Allen.
The jump-off went very wrong for Nallon and Iglesias D.V., however, and they finished ninth with 31 faults that included 23 time faults. That still earned more than €12,000 and it was a memorable week once more for the German-based rider.
Lynch was the man who went closest to prompting a rendition of 'Amhrán na bhFiann' in the Moroccan capital, guiding the remarkable Cordial to the runner-up berth.
The venerable stallion was fresh as a daisy in the jump-off and was one of only two horses to keep all the obstacles in place. And when the timers froze, the son of Casall and his Tipperary town pilot were just 11 hundredths of a second shy of the €201,993 pot won by Angelica Augustsson Zanotelli (SWE), with Iron Dames Calvino II de Nyze Z.
However, their safe jumping was enough for another top-flight podium for the pairing, and the plum sum of more than €120,000.
Christian Ahlmann (GER) and Untouched LB were third, having clocked the fastest time in the jump-off but with a rail down.
Allen and Aloga Stables’ Edison de Hus were last to have a tilt at the eye-popping first prize but unfortunately also had four faults. The Enniscorthy athlete made sure to keep going forward, however, and their time was fast enough to claim a considerable share of the prize money in fourth.