Balzac Bags The Big One

A local rider goes all out to secure grand prix success, while one of the youngest competitors triumphs with a daring win and an American keeps her cool on her way to victory

- Margaret Shaw

LOCALLY based Irishman Anthony Condon produced a classic second clear round to take the honours in the Equerry Horse Feeds Bolesworth International grand prix.

Riding his own and Kat Taylor’s Oklund 11-year-old Balzac (49.86), Anthony gained a four-second winning margin over another local rider Keith Shore and Mystic Hurricane (53.53).

“I’ve always rated Balzac and thought he would make a top grand prix horse,” said Anthony, who is based at the Harthill Stud. “We bought him at the end of his seven-year-old year and he has come on in leaps and bounds.”

What a difference a year makes, as the memories of the Bolesworth rain and mud of last year were wiped out and spectators braved wilting heat to watch four days of top-drawer jumping where the sport matched the temperature — hot, hot, hot.

With the top 25% of 46 starters allowed through to the final grand prix jump-off, it proved an intriguing finale as tactics came into play.

Of the 11 finalists, five had jumped clear, one incurred a time-fault and the five jumping first were the fastest of the four-faulters.

Pathfinders Darragh Kenny and Team De Coquerie put the pressure on by posting a zero score in a good time of 45.87 seconds to complete on four faults for eventual fifth.

Rails then fell for Trevor Breen (Bombay, 11th), Francois Mathy Jr (Casanova De L’Herse, fourth), Michael Whitaker (Viking, eighth) and Lauren Hough (Ohlala, ninth).

The next pair to jump, Robert Whitaker and Catwalk IV, brought one time-fault through to the second round and again left all the fences standing, albeit at the expense of another time-fault.

“When we go steady, Catwalk is reliable at leaving everything up,” said Robert. “He’s been clear in his last few grands prix, so I was happy knowing I’d stay ahead of anything that had a fence down.”