Kenny wins four-star feature in Salem
Offaly show jumping star Darragh Kenny claimed victory in the four-star feature at New York's Old Salem Farm on Thursday.
Corkman Simon McCarthy was also on the mark at two-star level as Irish athletes won the two international classes at Old Salem Farm, located about an hour north of New York City.
Kenny’s success was the highlight, however, emerging triumphant in the two-phase challenge with Serendepety and collecting fifth-place dollars into the bargain along with Chaccoletto.
It was the lightning double-clear recorded in conjunction with exciting nine-year-old Serendepety that stole the show. The Beerbaum Stables-owned mare's 25.36 time for the speed phase secured victory for the Tokyo Olympian over 40 other rivals in the 1.45m class.
“Serendepety is a really fast mare,” Kenny said. “She’s really stepped up to the 1.45/1.50m level, and I just had a bit of fun with her today.
"She’s super quick across the ground and really light, and I just had to turn back in a couple of places for the time. She was great. She’ll jump the 1.45m class again on Saturday,” the Belmont native added.
Later on, McCarthy made it an Irish double by steering Good Mood Semilly to top spot on the podium in the two-star 1.40m speed class.
It was a good night too for Down rider Conor Swail, who maintained his stellar form with a runner-up finish in five-star competition at the Traverse City Horse Show in Michigan.
Swail and Vital Chance De La Roque were in five-star winning form in Ottawa last month and they went close to following up but found just one competitor too good in another top-flight speed class.
Swail, who was among the winners at Spruce Meadows last week, set a stern examination on the opposition by going clear in a time of 58.07 seconds. Despite being just 14th of 64 into the arena, that was too strong for all bar red-hot USA pilot McLain Ward, whose Aga Khan Cup heroics at the Dublin Horse Show appear to have propelled him to a rich vein of form subsequently.
Ward and First Lady were the 40th combination and they were just too quick and nimble on this occasion, sprinting to a time of 56.32 that bagged the spoils, with the Irish pairing earning the silver medal.