Class 5 winner Darragh Kenny on Go Easy De Muze
Darragh Kenny won the headline class at Bolesworth CSI **** International on Friday, June 17th to continue Irish domination of this year’s event.
Fresh from Dermott Lennon’s speed class win earlier in the day, Kenny landed the four-star jump-off competition, sponsored by Cazenove Capital Management.
And Kenny revealed that his winning ride Go Easy De Muze, a 10-year-old Belgian Warmblood (Vigo d’Arsouilles x For Pleasure) owned by Jos Lansink Horses & F.H. Schuttert, had only been with him for a few weeks after they dominated a jump-off of more than 20 riders. They prevailed by almost two seconds over Britain’s Joe Whitaker and Lola V, with Brazil’s Felipe Amaral aboard Premiere Carthoe BZ in 3rd, and Victoria Gulliksen of Norway riding Viego Les Hauts to 4th. Great Britain’s Harriet Nuttall rounded out the top five with A Touch Imperious.
“It was a really good win,” Kenny said. “I have only had the horse for about three weeks, and that was only our second class over 1.45 metres. He feels amazing.
“I think he is going to be a really cool horse for the future. He was the Dutch champion this year with his previous rider, and he also won the grand prix in Eindhoven. It was a testing jump-off. There were only four double-clears. There were big open distances and big verticals, but that suits my horse.
“I have really big hopes for him. He will jump the grand prix here on Sunday, and he will hopefully go to Rotterdam next week, then jump on the Irish Nations Cup team in Falsterbo, Sweden.
“Irish showjumping is on such a massive roll at the moment. It’s such a shame for us that we don’t have a team at the Olympics in Rio, because probably right now we have one of the strongest teams around.”