Equestrian:Co Down's Dermott Lennon rounded off his excellent show at Olympia by winning last night's Grand Prix at the London venue on the Irish-bred mare Loughview Lou-Lou.
Drawn 14th in the 33-runner field, Lennon (42) was the only Irish rider to get through to the 11 horse jump-off round where the early standard was set by Peter Charles. Riding Murkas Nevada, the British rider was clear in 39.21, a time easily bettered by Lennon who stopped the clock on 37.84.
A third double clear was recorded by Germany’s Hans-Dieter Dreher but his time of 40.36 on Embassy II was only good enough for fourth spot in the final line-up as young Spanish rider Manuel Anon, on the 10-year-old mare Rackel Chavannaise, slotted into second when clear in 38.08.
“Loughview Lou-Lou is a very competitive horse, and she is naturally fast, but I was really delighted with the way she jumped tonight,” said former world champion Lennon. “I got her a year ago and she has been steadily progressing since her first win at Maubeuge in France in May of this year. I have to say it's fantastic to see an Irish-bred horse back winning a five-star Grand Prix like this. She was just super.”
A daughter of the Holstein stallion Limmerick, which stands at the Lougherne Stud outside Hillsborough, Loughview Lou-Lou was bred by her Randalstown owner Judith Sossick. Her dam, Loughview Diamond Lucy, was by the Irish Draught sire Jack Of Diamonds.