Unusual finish at Olympia Puissance
Saturday, 19 December 2009 11:42An unusual finish in the famous Christmas Olympia Puissance in London saw five riders tie for first place after they all failed to clear the wall when it was raised to 2m15.
Cian O'Connor and his 11-year-old bay mare 'Calistra MS' were one of the six combinations that made it through to the third jump-off at the five-star show, but five riders dislodged a single brick, while Britain's Robert Smith dropped out of the running when his horse 'Sherlock K' ran out, forcing a retirement.
Ireland's Billy Twomey made it through to the second jump-off with Sue Davies's 'Wertherroschen', but faulted there to finish in seventh overall.
Earlier, Irish riders secured three top ten places in the first class on Friday.
Second place was O'Connor, who led for most of the morning on the bay gelding 'Splendor', but was pipped for the first prize by Pius Schwizer from Switzerland.
O'Connor's runner-up spot was followed by Cameron Hanley's fifth place with Sevil Sabanci's 'SIEC Caro Ass', and an eighth position from Twomey with Sue Davies's eight-year-old 'Blue Thunder'.
Elsewhere, at Frankfurt's four-star show, Tipperary's Denis Lynch claimed third place in the major jump-off class, the Frankfurt Championship.
Riding Flaminia Straumann's 11-year-old bay gelding 'Nabab's Son', the Irish rider was one of 14 through to the jump-off, but nether he nor German runner-up Marco Kutscher could catch the blistering speed of Dutch winner Gert-Jan Bruggink and 'Cash Jr' in the final round.
