Offaly showjumper runner-up at Spruce Meadows

Offaly’s Darragh Kenny and the 17-year-old stallion VDL Cartello recorded a brilliant runner-up finish in Sunday’s €2 million CPKC ‘International’ Grand Prix.

The event was presented by Rolex at Spruce Meadows in Canada and is part of the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping.

A world-class field of riders were looking to etch their names into the history books as they pursued one of the most coveted titles in the sport.

Just three combinations jumped clear in the first two rounds to set up a tense third round jump-off against the clock.

With the riders returning in the same order in which they jumped in the previous round, it was Switzerland’s Martin Fuchs who was first to re-enter the sunbathed arena. Fuchs and the striking grey gelding, Leone Jei, set the pace in an impressive time of 40.22 seconds, collecting four faults.

Kenny was next to go and was hoping that a steady clear could seal a victory. However he picked up four jumping and two time faults.

Germany’s Daniel Deusser and Killer Queen VDM were last to go, and when they crossed the line with eight faults, Fuchs would take the victory ahead of Kenny in second and Deusser in third.

Fuchs has now claimed back-to-back titles at Spruce Meadows and it comes just over a month after he also won a Rolex Grand Prix at the Dublin Horse Show with Conner Jei.

During the competition, Spruce Meadows CEO and President Linda Southern-Heathcott announced the exciting news that next year the CPKC ‘International’ Grand Prix, presented by Rolex, would have an increased prize fund totalling €3.3 million to mark 50 years of international competition at the venue.