Young rider Hannah Patterson scored her first Grand Prix win this season when triumphant with Daberlina M in the seventeenth leg of the Showjumping Ireland National Grand Prix League.
Coming at the beginning of an 11-horse decider, Patterson set an unassailable target of a clear round in a time of 38.00 seconds to clinch the win in Saturday’s €4,000 feature class at the Meadows EC Summer Championships.
Patterson has been paired with the nine-year-old Zento-sired Daberlina M for the past two years. A solid partnership has seen the duo feature in last season’s Autumn Grand Prix league while this season the combination were part of the team to represent Ireland at the Future Champions Young Rider Nations Cup at Hagen in June.
This may have been Patterson’s first win in the National Grand Prix league but the Co. Derry based rider is no stranger to the winner’s enclosure in the senior divisions having taken a big win last season in the Eglinton Irish Masters with her other horse Douglas W as well as winning Sunday’s Six-Year-Old Horse Sport Ireland Irish Studbook Series Final with Volt Star.
Tholm Keane made it within striking distance of the time with BMH Big Time but proved just off the pace when recording 38.58 to secure the runner-up position. Keane and the eight-year-old Luidam-sired stallion have shown good form throughout the season in the league. Featuring on five occasions, including a victory at Galway County Show, Keane currently occupies fourth position on the leader board having accumulated 31 points.
No other riders could make it home inside the 39 second mark without fault but coming closest was Nicholas Butler and Vimminka. Making a good effort Butler stopped the clock at 39.12 to guarantee the yellow rosette.
Butler and the 15-year-old Nabab de Reve mare are another pair to show a consistent run of form. The joint winner of the most recent round of the league at Maryville EC, Butler has also been active in the New Heights Champions Series with placings at Louth County, Balmoral and a runner-up finish at Tattersalls.
The times remained tight with only fractions dividing Louis Delplace and Gavin Harley. Delplace proved the quicker of the two crossing the line in 39.32 aboard Lowhill Showdown while Harley made it home in 39.97 with Colour Blue.
Kenneth Graham completed the line-up with Lyrical, having set the original benchmark at 41.30.
Only three legs remain with Liam O’Meara still comfortably on top of the leader board with a total of 79 points.
Showjumping Ireland National Grand Prix League the Meadows EC 19th August 2017 Result
- Hannah Patterson Daberlina M 0/0 - 38.00
- Tholm Keane BMH Big Time 0/0 38.58
- Nicholas Butler Vimminka 0/0 - 39.12
- Louis Delplace Lowhill Showdown 0/0 - 39.32
- Gavin Harley Colour Blue 0/0 -39.97
- Kenneth Graham Lyrical 0/0 - 41.30