King Kenny back in the saddle
McEvoy and Swail other big winners, Sweetnam and Gizmo reach notable landmark
Darragh Kenny returned to action with a bang, securing a five-star victory and leading an Irish 1-2 with more than a hint of irony to it, as Bertram Allen chased him home in Wellington on Thursday night.
It was a momentous evening for the Offaly native, who had a four-month provisional suspension lifted by the FEI as his positive test for a prohibited substance was related to a prescribed medication for ADHD.
The irony lay in Allen helping out with the preparation of his compatriot’s horses in recent weeks, the Wexford native bagging a four-star double at this venue three weeks ago on Eddy Blue and Zero K.
Eddy Blue was clearly spot on for his regular partner’s comeback to the international circuit and having helped Ireland finish fourth in the 2025 European Championships and also finished seventh individually, it did not come as a shock to see them win the WEF Challenge Cup (below).
The 14-year-old gelding owned by Carol A Sollak was clever and quick, while Kenny displayed all his customary quiet composure in the irons to see off 10 other combinations in the jump-off. The World No 25 was understandably delighted as he and Eddy stopped the clock at 37.90 seconds in posting their second clear.
They did have Allen chasing hard on Aloga Stables’ 10-year-old Qonquest de Rigo (below), though at 39.12 seconds, they did not threaten the winning time. Meanwhile Cian O’Connor and Ulysses made it a very fruitful class indeed for the Green Jackets in fourth, with a time of 40.87.
“This is my first week back so it’s nice to get back in the ring,” said Kenny. “Bertram Allen rode Eddy for me for a little bit and did a fantastic job on him. The horse feels ready to go, and he was amazing today as he always is.
“I knew Bertram’s horse has a massive stride; he did seven from one to two. I wasn’t sure if I could do that, but it showed up for me. I think my horse is more experienced than his in jump-offs, so that’s probably where it got him.
“I’m very lucky to have such a fantastic group of owners and staff who kept the horses in great shape,” the Olympian commented of his time on the sidelines. “I was very lucky Bertram was able to ride them for me—I’m very thankful to everybody who was involved in that.”
Shane Sweetnam completed Week 7 of the Winter Equestrian Festival with a remarkable 20th individual top-three in a five-star 1.60m while astride the indomitable James Kann Cruz (ISH), bred in Galway by Patrick Connolly of Connolly Stud Farm and owned by Gizmo Partners. Amazingly, eight of those results have come in the past year, since they represented Ireland at the Paris Olympics.
McLain Ward (USA) came out on top of a truly elite competition with High Star Hero, while Mark Bluman (COL) was runner-up with Landon de Nyze. Sweetnam was gushing in his praise of what must be one of the most accurate jumpers on the planet and regretted not throwing caution completely to the wind in the final line (above), which the Cork native maintained might have cost them marking a wonderful landmark with victory.
“He hasn’t knocked a fence in a grand prix since Dublin (last August), and that’s ridiculous,” Sweetnam related afterwards. “I’m blessed to have a horse that good—he really loves his job.
“I took a risk at the third-to-last tonight, and if I took another risk to the next, I think I’d be sitting to my left. The horse was fast enough to win, but the jockey wasn’t.”
Niamh McEvoy is on the crest of a wave at present, having made her Longines League Of Nations debut and also posted a top-five finish in the lucrative Grand Prix at Abu Dhabi’s five-star show and the Tyrone tyro kept the momentum going with a four-star triumph at Vejer de la Frontera on Saturday.
Piloting Jargon DN in the 1.45m class jump-off class featuring more than 70 participants (above), McEvoy set a target of double clear in a time of 35.61 that proved beyond all. Argentina’s Matías Larocca went close with Con Corrado 4, registering a time of 35.83.
Elsewhere, having competed well in a Grand Prix the previous week, Theo 160 was back in his natural habitat of a speed class at Desert International Parks three-star show in Thermal and duly added another major ribbon to his tally for long-time ally Conor Swail on Wednesday night.
They were only the second pair into the arena but are such veterans of this type of competition that they just put on the power boosters, cleared the rails and set a time of 65.87 that was far too hot for the opposition to handle.
Indeed Kaitlin Campbell, piloting Cosm Questa VD Heffinck, earned the runner-up spot despite not even getting within three seconds of the lightning standard set by the Down athlete and his redoubtable 14-year-old Mannon Farm-owned gelding to get Week 7 of the Desert Circuit swing under way in ideal fashion.
It all led to another victory lap for Swail and Theo 160, and the customary contribution of the most famous dog in show jumping, Ralph, to the festivities.
“All the numbers came up lovely for [Theo 160], and he is a quick, competitive horse,” said Swail. “I must say, he jumped beautifully today. This is his first time out on the grass this year. He has been here before on the grass, and he is very good on it. I was very pleased with the size of his step and how easily he went around. It was very smooth.
“We had a bit of rain overnight there, but honestly [the Grass Field] felt super good. They were really jumping very confidently off it, so it was great. It was a great result for him. “He likes it here in the desert; he has a good record here. He has won a few grand prix here, and I hope we continue just to keep up the good results and the good confidence.”
Laois athlete, James Chawke prospered in the 1.45m Welcome class the following day, just giving way to Melody Liu (USA), who was securing her first FEI victory, on board Napoleon van den Dael.
A mammoth 17 combinations passed Alan Wade’s initial test and 16 of them returned for the jump-off. Liu and her partner clocked 3.76 in posting their second clear.
Chawke and the lightning Daido van’t Ruershof Z were last into the arena and their clear in 40.05 slipped them into second. Swail and Clonterm Obolensky also recorded a relaxed double clear to be seventh.
Chawke and his consistent performer would conclude the week with a fourth-place finish in the Grand Prix.
Meanwhile in Ocala, Daniel Coyle and Urville Z maintained their hot run when just failing to record a third straight two-star Grand Prix triumph at the World Equestrian Center, having a rail down in the jump-off, won by Zume Gallaher (USA) with Crescendo Vhl, to secure the bronze medal this time. The World No 9 from Derry also made the tiebreaker for the $200,000 four-star Grand Prix with Daydream, but an early four faults prompted a circumspect conclusion to the round and a sixth-place return.
BREEDING
CSF JAMES KANN CRUZ (ISH) – 2013 gelding by Kannan (KWPN) out of CSF Telly Cruz (ISH) by Cruising (ISH)[TIH]. Breeder: Patrick Connolly, Co Galway. Owner: Gizmo Partners, LLC. Rider: Shane Sweetnam (IRL).
PHOTO CREDITS
Darragh Kenny, Bertram Allen, Shane Sweetnam: Wellington / Sportfot / Cassidy Klein
Niamh McEvoy: Andalucía Sunshine Tour / Mackenzie Clark
Conor Swail: DIHP / High Desert Sport Photo
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