Denis Lynch maintained his recent good run of form when winning the featured 1.50m jump-off class at the five-star show in Basel, Switzerland on Saturday night.
Having finished second to compatriot Billy Twomey last year, Tipperary native Lynch got his hands on the prestigious Golden Drum of Basel following a second round contested by 10 other riders which included Co Louth-born Mark McAuley.
While the latter had two fences down with Miebello to finish 11th, Lynch recorded easily the fastest of six double clears to win on Onyx Consulting’s 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood Cristello (36.80). Austria’s Max Kühner slotted into second on Alfa Jordan (38.54) with 22-year-old Swiss rider Bryan Balsiger finishing third on Jenkins ter Doorn (38.95).
Basel will host the latest round of the Longines FEI World Cup series on Sunday when Lynch (GC Chopin’s Bushi) and McAuley (Vivaldi du Theil) will be among the 40 starters.
At two-star level, there was a win at Opglabbeek in Belgium for Co Antrim’s Conor Drain in the 1.40m jump-off class on Forever while Co Mayo-born Jonathan Gordon topped the leaderboard in the 1.45m Grand Prix at Zuidbroek in The Netherlands with Dorotheental’s Classica.
Under lights outdoors at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Florida, the men’s team won the Battle of the Sexes. There were five Irish riders on the successful squad.
