Rider aged 16 wins Emerald Puissance

A 16-year-old has won the Emerald International Puissance in Kildare, clearing the famous red wall at 2.05m (6 ft 7in).

Winner takes all

The competition started with the wall at 1.65m and went to four rounds, but only Christopher Megahey from Templepatrick, Co Antrim cleared it for a fourth time, riding Seapatrick Cruise Cavalier.

Jumping the only clear meant the teenager claimed the entire €3,000 in the ‘winner takes all’ contest. Gerard Clarke was second with Zanzibar V, while former Dublin puissance winners Liam O Meara and Ciscero finished third.

Double clear

The three day Emerald International Irish Masters came to a close on Sunday evening (16 November), with Edward Butler winning the €15,000 Grand Prix.

The rider from Co Meathwas the only one to jump a double clear, partnering the 12-year-old mare Limmerick. Canadian rider Rebecca McGoldrick was the runner-up on Cubra Libra with the fastest four faults, while Francis Connors and Hyperion came third.

Winner by name…

In the Jim Derwin Young Rider Grand Prix it was Anna Carway who took the title riding the appropriately named Winner. No pressure there then…

The top six all managed double clears but it was Anna’s fast time of 40.18sec which saw her win the class. Declan Egan was second with Cristobar (41.53sec), just in front of Noelle Barry and Norway Venture (42.14sec).

Leading rider

Earlier in the day Neal Fearon and Claricella won the Bourns Sport Horses Six-Year-Old Final, while Edward enjoyed another win in theSeven-Year-Old Final ridingCSF Whiterock Cruise.

Edward was also named as the overall leading rider, while Derry’s Daniel Coyle was crowned the Apex Fire Leading Young Rider of the Show.