US-based David Blake finished best of the Irish when fifth in Saturday night’s $500,000 Rolex Grand Prix at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Florida. Blake was the only one of the five Irish riders in the competition to do so and the Co Clare native, who was first to go against the clock, set a steady round clear in 44.36 with Pine Hollow Farm’s 10-year-old Holstein gelding Keoki. While three others had faults in the second round, Blake’s time was only good enough for fifth as the USA’s Mclain Ward topped the podium when recording his clear in 37.42 with HH Azur. The WEF concludes on Sunday, ending a 12-week circuit of top jumper, hunter, and equitation competition which awarded more than $9 million in prize-money. Earlier in the day in Europe, there was a win in the 1.45m jump-off class at Bonheiden in Belgium for Ireland’s David Simpson riding Charlotte Platt’s 11-year-old Anglo European stallion Jenson 55.

Source: The Irish Times March 31, 2019 10:18 UTC