Padraig McCarthy became the first Irish rider to win the CCI4*-S for eight- and nine-year-old horses at Blenheim Horse Trials today (22 September) with the classy eight-year-old home-bred gelding, MGH Zabaione.
The pair headed into Sunday’s cross-country in 10th after the showjumping, but a speedy cross-country round, where they clocked the third fastest round of the day with just four time-faults, was enough to propel them to the top of the leaderboard.
This young horse CCI4*-S has a history of serving as a stepping stone to five-star greatness. Analytics firm EquiRatings has counted 26 graduates who have gone on to win a five-star, including six former winners of this young horse championship.
“I expected to get a very good result – he’s done three four-stars now and he’s been placed every time,” explained Padraig. “I didn’t expect to win it, especially with where we were after the showjumping, but to win is a huge thrill.”
Padraig said he “thinks the world” of MGH Zabaione, who he owns alongside Peter Cattell and Diane Brunsden.
“He’s probably the most complete horse I’ve ever ridden. He’s won at every level so far; two-star, three-star and four-star and I bred him, so it’s really exciting.
“It’s amazing for the owners too – they believed in me when I said the horse was a really good one when I sold him to them when he was a four-year-old.”
Padraig commented that this son of Zavall VDL has now finished for this season, but that he has high hopes for the years to come.
“I hope he’ll be a good one for championships in the future.”
Of the 88 cross-country starters, 74 jumped clear around the David Evans-designed track, but only one – Sam Ecroyd and Bloomfield Manuscript, who finished fifth – finished inside the 6min 49sec optimum time. The weather played a part in this with rain falling for most of the competition.
“I think there was plenty to do and it was quite slippery, there were lots of twists and turns,” said Padraig. “Horses always get a little tired here, but luckily MGH Zabaione does his training on the hills in Dartmoor and was really fit – he stayed really with me all the way and I think that’s what got me the win. He’s got a great length of stride and I could keep using his gallop. He’s an incredible horse that makes my job easy.”
Blenheim Horse Trials CCI4*-S young horse results: “He’s exceptional”
Dressage and showjumping leaders Georgie Goss and Kojak slipped to second by .4 of a penalty when they picked up 8.8 time-faults across country.
“I’m so proud of him. There’s that natural disappointment of moving down to second, but if someone had offered me that placing on him last week, I would have snatched their hand off,” said Georgie, who switched from riding for Britain to Ireland in 2023.
Kojak, a nine-year-old Georgie co-owns with Molly Fisher, Lucy Fleming and Samantha Wilson, caught the eye throughout the competition, scoring 27.7 in the dressage, before following this up with a double clear jumping performance.
“He’s an exceptional horse and I’m so, so proud of what he’s done today,” said Georgie of the son of Namelus R. “I was going as fast as I physically could – he lost a shoe about halfway round and had a few slips, and I’d like to think that would have been the difference between winning or not, but he slipped, picked himself up and jumped the fences and galloped and galloped.
“I think he gave me more than [I thought] he had this weekend. He gives me 110% of everything he’s got at every single event and every single day. He’s quite green for the level and my intention coming here was for him to have a nice round and get used to the crowds, but then as soon as he performed the way he did in the dressage, we had to kick on.”
Georgie hopes this result will catch the eye of the Irish selectors.
“We’ll maybe do a CCI4*-L at the beginning of next season to qualify for the Europeans – I’d like a green jacket!” she laughed.
Caroline Harris proved she has a potential star in her yard when finishing third with eight-year-old Cooley Mosstown. They were equal 12th after the dressage and then added four showjumping faults before jumping clear across country, picking up 1.2 time-faults – the second fastest round of the day – which was enough to propel them up the leaderboard on to the podium, finishing on 36.9.
“I know he’s a very good horse – he came fourth at Le Lion last year [in the seven-year-old World Young Horse Championships], so I was hoping for a top 10 finish here,” commented Caroline of this horse, who is owned by Gail Sinclair, Karen Dunford and Dinah Posford. “I was pretty disappointed to have a pole down, because he’s a really good jumper and it felt like one of our best rounds.
“He’s phenomenal – he‘s only been eventing two seasons and he makes it feel so easy. He was unreal across-country.”
Caroline explained that Cooley Mosstown, who is by Celtic Hero BZ, showjumped in Ireland as a five-year-old before she purchased him from Cooley Farm when he was six.
“I started eventing him in the May of his six-year-old year and won his first CCI4*-S this year at Mallow and I really rate him – he’s a top, top horse.
“He tries super-hard but he’s sharp in the sense that he sometimes tries too hard and then panics, but he gives me everything and I think he’s one to go all the way with.”
Caroline hopes to aim Cooley Mosstown at the CCI4*-L at Bramham next season before bringing him back to Blenheim Horse Trials for the eight- and nine-year-olds before perhaps having a tilt at the CCI4*-L at Boekelo.
Piggy March and Dassett Arthalent were fourth (37.1) with Sam Ecroyd and Bloomfield Manuscript fifth (38.4). Jonelle Price and Full Monty De Lacense took sixth (40) and Caroline Powell and CBI Aldo finished seventh (40.2).
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