Sligo's Richard Howley and the 12-year-old gelding Consulent de Prelet Z have made it back-to-back FEI World Cup Grand Prix wins, after they triumphed in today’s (Sunday) second leg of the series at Helsinki.
Thirty-one-year-old Howley from Enniscrone scored his first ever World Cup win with a sensational performance last weekend in Oslo, Norway. Seven day’s later, Howley was back in the winner's circle as he once again beat off a world class field to take the top prize of just over €57,000.
Howley and Consulent de Prelet Z were last to go in an eight-horse jump-off, and crossed the finish line clear in 34.18 seconds to leave them with over two seconds to spare over their nearest challengers – Germany’s Philipp Schulze Topphoff and Carla NRW in runner-up spot, while world number one and reigning series champion, Sweden’s Henrik von Eckermann, finished third with Dzara Dorchival.
A delighted Richard Howley said: "I always want to win, and competing against the best riders you have to give all. My horse is very careful so I can ask him everything, I can move fast and collect him at the last minute. Obviously, I never thought I would win both legs even if it is always the goal to win. I really want to try to go the the World Cup final so this is my chance and we are very motivated"
The result leaves Howley with a commanding lead at the top of the World Cup league table on 40 points – 19 points ahead of Von Eckermann heading into the third leg of the series in a fortnight’s time in Lyon.
Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, Cork’s Shane Sweetnam and the nine-year-old gelding Cjoxx Z stormed to victory in Saturday’s €250,000 five-star Grand Prix at San Miguel De Allende in Mexico. They stopped the clock clear in 43.03 seconds to take the top prize after an eight-horse jump-off to finish with almost two seconds to spare over Mexican runner-up Andres Azcarraga with Contendros 2.
Elsewhere, an outstanding performance from Irish eventing rider Austin O'Connor and the Kate Jarvey-bred Colorado Blue, saw them crowned champions at the prestigious Maryland five-star event at Fairhill in the USA.
O’Connor has become the first Irish eventing rider in 58 years to win a five-star eventing competition, following in the footsteps of Major Eddie Boylan and Durlas Eile who won the five-star Badminton Horse Trials in 1965.
Tokyo Olympian O'Connor and Colorado Blue were in 12th place after the opening dressage phase on Friday and climbed eight places to fourth after a brilliant cross country performance on Saturday where they added just 1.2 time penalties.
A brilliant clear final show jumping round on Sunday - which was the only clear inside the time of the competition - saw them climb from overnight fourth place to take a massive victory on a final score of 34.9.
Maryland is one of just seven of the five-star 'majors' in the world of eventing, and speaking afterwards, an emotional Austin O’Connor revealed that a five-star win was something he thought he might have never achieved.
"People like me – we’re not supposed to win five-stars, but it’s just happened, I think," he said.
"It’s the end result of a lifetime’s work really. Ultimately it’s all about the horse – he is unbelievable, he’s been a champion for years and privately I was prepared to give him to somebody better because thought he deserved to win a five-star and I didn’t think I could win one with him, but here we are."
