OCALA, Fla.--Four-time OIympian and individual bronze medalist Cian O'Connorof Ireland on Bentley de Sury won the $300,000 World Cup qualifier in Ocala on Saturday evening, Feb. 16 at World Equestrian Center – Ocala.
Cian O'Connor on Bentley du Sury (Photo by Andrew Ryback)The class was the highlight of the CSI5*-W week and the final qualifier in the North American League for the World Cup Final, which will be held in Basel, Switzerland, in April.
There were 33 entries in the opening round competing over a course designed by Bernardo Costa Cabral of Portugal, with seven clean to go on to the jump-off.
Saturday seemed like an early celebration of St. Patrick's Day as Irish riders won five of the top seven places in the World Cup, including first through fourth and seventh, as well as having won the first leg of the League of Nations competition in Abu Dhabi earlier in the day.
"When there's so many Irish in the jump-off, and I knew they'd go so hard, it kind of motivated me a little bit to have a proper go," O'Connor said.
He won the class on Bentley de Sury, crossing the timers of Bernardo Costa Cabral's jump-off course in 36.62 seconds.
It was a race to the finish, as O'Connor narrowly beat Shane Sweetnam of Ireland on James Kann Cruz time of 36.91, just two-tenths of a second back, followed by Daniel Coyle of Ireland on Incredible, three-hundredths of a second behind in 36.84s.
ADDING TO the Irish dominance, O'Connor's student, 20-year-old Tom Wachman of Ireland finished fourth in 37.10 and Darrage Kenny on Eddy Blue was seventh with four faults in 38.34 in the seven horse jump-of.
Shane Sweetnam on James Kann Cruz Photo by Andrew Ryback)Nina Mallevaey of France on Nikka vd Bisschop was fifth, clean in 38.48, and Alise Oken on Gelvera was sixth, clean in 40.08..
That meant the Irish accounted for more than 70 percent of the jump-off under the lights at the magnificent World Equestrian Center venue, which will hold its own League of Nations leg next month.
"Shane had a brilliant round, and I knew Daniel was coming behind me, so I just did what I thought Bentley could do," said O'Connor.
Sweetnam had put the pressure on with a nearly flawless round aboard his Paris 2024 Olympics partner, James Kann Cruz, but he also gave his countrymen a target to chase.
"My turn wasn't good enough between the second and third jump-off fences, so I had a feeling I didn't have enough done," Sweetnam said. "My horse jumped great. I'm delighted with him. I can always be a little bit better, but he did his part."
Kenny was up on the clock on Eddy Blue when he cut the turn into the combination.
Eddy Blue cleared the first element of the double, but he brought down the oxer jumping out.
That left only Coyle to go, but he had to change his plan in the final line.
"The plan was to try to do eight strides to the last fence, but I had emptied the horse and myself, and I thought, 'Well, I will do something I never do, and I took an extra stride,'" Coyle said. "I thought, 'If I'm fast enough, I'm fast enough,' and tonight I wasn't.
"If anyone's going to beat you, it might as well be two Irishmen."
O'Connor has only ridden Bentley since the fall, getting the ride through his student, Anastasia Nielsen, a ride that was initially meant to be temporary.
"She actually found the horse a little bit strong, and she asked me to him for a while, so I rode him from October up until December, and then I decided to buy him," O'Connor said. "I felt that having an experienced horse like Bentley would be great for me, because it would take the pressure off some of the newer horses and younger horses that I bought and allow me time to develop them. The plan is working out okay."
The night resulted in three Irish riders earning tickets out of the North American League to the upcoming World Cup Finals in Basel in April.
Kenny, Sweetnam, and Coyle qualify as Extra Athletes.
"The Irish are good all over the world," said O'Connor. "We punch above our weight, I suppose for a small nation, but Irish riders are horsemen, and they want to win, and we all motivate each other. Everyone has a relationship. We work together, we discuss the courses together, people are behind the other person doing well, and that kind of culture creates a movement where everyone wants to go well."
Kent Farrington ends the season leading the NAL standings with 58 points, ahead of Daniel Bluman of israel with 54 points and Kristen Vanderveen, who has 38 points.
The World Cup Final is in Basel on April 1-6.
