Caccia can't be caught

A laid-back Otangelo youngster, who fell asleep on the ferry, is a star of the show, and jumping bridleless at home proves the winning formula for one combination

A THRILLING 22-horse jump-off for the Al Shira’aa CSI*YH seven-year-old final was another that fell to Irish conquest, when Sean Monaghan snatched victory in the final throes with the “unbelievable” Tiberio Della Caccia.

“I’m hoping he gets to stay with me – he is a horse who could be very helpful for my career,” said 24-year-old Sean, who overthrew the lightning lead of Glain Watkin Jones and Heroine Pasquier in a tight contest.

“He’s got a different level of stride to any other horse I’ve ever ridden. He’s so talented, you can gallop him up to the jump and he’ll always clear it. It was a massive advantage the way the jump-off was built for me with long runs.

“I took one less stride than everyone from fence one to two and I stayed galloping.”

Sean, who is based just 20 minutes from the port in Dublin, bought the Otangelo x Cannavaros gelding from Bertram and Harry Allen as a three-year-old.

“The lads told me to come and look at a few horses – we bought three that day, because we had to buy a few more to buy him as part of the deal! He was very special jumping loose and he wasn’t really for sale, so we got lucky,” he said.

“He’s got an incredible temperament. He is so laidback. He was on his own in the van coming over here and he laid down on the boat and went to sleep!”

The horse has been quietly produced until this year, when he has picked up pace.

“He won a lot of classes on the Sunshine Tour. He likes bigger arenas as he finds technical courses harder with his big stride, so we need to practise in smaller arenas,” Sean added.

“This year we’ll educate him, put him away for the winter and then try to do good things next year.”

RIDER FIVE TIMES THE BRIDESMAID