Darragh Ryan took his first Showjumping Ireland National Grand Prix victory of the season when triumphing in Saturday’s €5,000 round at Ballinasloe Showgrounds with Zuidam.

Coming out in front in an 18-horse decider, Ryan knew exactly what route offered the quickest way home and set a time of 34.20 seconds which not one of the other competitors could catch.

Owned by Paul Carr, the 13-year-old stallion Zuidam is by Guidam out of an Indoctro dam. With an impeccable record under both Daniel Coyle and Greg Broderick, Zuidam has most recently been campaigned with great success by Broderick’s American student Adrienne Dixon.

Young rider Ryan has had a meteoric rise to the top over 2016 with victories in the Irish Breeders Classic and the Four-Year-Old Mo Chroi National Championship as well as being awarded leading young rider at the Dublin Horse Show.  This season Ryan has continued to impress with a hat-trick of wins at the RDS qualifier at Barnadown.

Ryan denied Liam O’Meara a fifth win in the league, relegating the Tipperary rider to second place on this occasion. O’Meara was partnered with the nine-year-old Jacomar-sired Curraghgraigue Jack Take Flight and made a solid attempt on the time when logging 35.67.

Tim MacDonagh was over two seconds behind this pace on the 10-year-old Beowulf-sired mare Tick Tock Tina but their time of 37.85 would hold for third place.

Francis Connors filled the next two positions in the line-up. The Ard VDL Douglas-sired Capitol Cruis proved the quicker of his two mounts, coming home in 38.10 while the 10-year-old Lates du Carel was fractionally slower in 38.39.

O’Meara also made it into the top six with Lincourt Lux when breaking the beams in 43.00.

O’Meara remains well clear of any rivals at the top of the leader board, having accumulated a total of 51 points heading into the eighth leg of the league at Coilog Equestrian on the 11^th June.

Showjumping Ireland National Grand Prix League Ballinsloe Show 27^th May 2017 Result

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1. Darragh Ryan              Zuidam                                                0/0 34.20
2. Liam O'Meara             Curraghgraigue Jack Take Flight        0/0 35.67
3. Tim MacDonagh         Tick Tock Tina                                    0/0 37.85
4. Francis Connors          Capitol Cruis                                       0/0 38.10
5. Francis Connors          Lates Du Carel                                    0/0 38.39
6. Liam O'Meara             Lincourt Lux                                       0/0 43.00
7. Martin Hynes             Rockhill Harlequin                              0/0 43.11
8. Francis Connors          Newmarket Clare Lady                      0/0 43.38