Irish Olympian Darragh Kenny came to Traverse City for the very first time during the third week of the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival (GLEF), and he’s finishing off his debut as a grand prix winner. Aboard Eddy Blue, the Irishman bested 34 entries in Sunday’s $77,300 CSI2* Grand Prix, taking the top prize.
“I think it’s a really special horse,” Kenny said of Eddy Blue, an 11-year-old Oldenburg gelding (Eldorado Van De Zeshoek x Chacco Blue), owned by Kerry Anne LLC. “I think it can jump five-star grand prixs; I think it can win five-star grand prixs. I’m really excited for the horse. It's owned by the McCahill family, who actually owned some of my first five-star grand prix horses five or six years ago. Now we’re working together again and it’s quite a special thing to have a really good horse from them again.”
With the advantage of going last, Kenny knew exactly what to do with the horse, despite its greeness at the FEI level. He jumped clear and was roughly two seconds quicker than Driscoll and VDL Salty Blue. Driscoll, now at the top of the Open Jumper Rider Bonus Leaderboard, claimed second and third on her mounts.
“My horse is actually very green at this level,” Kenny continued of Eddy Blue. “This is the first two-star grand prix I’ve jumped him in. I’ve only had him since the end of March but I think he's a very good horse. He’s really special.
“[Cathleen] played a smart risk,” he continued. “I just went as quick as he felt comfortable, and as long as that worked evenly then it was going to be good enough.”
“I think it’s a really special horse,” Kenny said of Eddy Blue, an 11-year-old Oldenburg gelding (Eldorado Van De Zeshoek x Chacco Blue), owned by Kerry Anne LLC. “I think it can jump five-star grand prixs; I think it can win five-star grand prixs. I’m really excited for the horse. It's owned by the McCahill family, who actually owned some of my first five-star grand prix horses five or six years ago. Now we’re working together again and it’s quite a special thing to have a really good horse from them again.”
With the advantage of going last, Kenny knew exactly what to do with the horse, despite its greeness at the FEI level. He jumped clear and was roughly two seconds quicker than Driscoll and VDL Salty Blue. Driscoll, now at the top of the Open Jumper Rider Bonus Leaderboard, claimed second and third on her mounts.
“My horse is actually very green at this level,” Kenny continued of Eddy Blue. “This is the first two-star grand prix I’ve jumped him in. I’ve only had him since the end of March but I think he's a very good horse. He’s really special.
“[Cathleen] played a smart risk,” he continued. “I just went as quick as he felt comfortable, and as long as that worked evenly then it was going to be good enough.”