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Cian O'Connor breaks American hearts in Florida

Cian O'Connor shone once again Stateside
Cian O'Connor shone once again Stateside

For the second time in less than 48 hours, Ireland's Cian O'Connor and Seringat broke American hearts in Florida, after they claimed a stunning jump-off win in the $100,000 City Of Ocala four-star Grand Prix.

An incredibly tough first-round course saw just three of the 39 starters managing to jump clear, with O'Connor eventually joined in a three-way jump-off by two American riders, Ali Wolff and Beezie Madden.

First to go against the clock, Madden set a tough target when she went clear in 41.43 seconds with Breitling LS, while second to go, Wolff and Casall also went clear in a slightly slower time of 41.86.

Madden and her American team members had watched on two day's earlier as O'Connor and Seringat completed a double clear round to deny them a home Nations Cup win. 

In a copybook repeat performance when last to go, O'Connor and the 11-year-old gelding once again went clear and crucially knocked two-tenths of a second off Madden's time to give Ireland another superb win.

Meath-based O'Connor, who this week chalked up his 111th Nations Cup appearance for his country, walked away with the winners prize of $33,000. Cork's Shane Sweetnam also took a share of the prize fund, as he finished sixth aboard Chaqui Z with the fastest four fault score from the first round.

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