Twomey takes honours

EQUESTRIAN: Cork-born Billy Twomey followed up Cian O'Connor's win on the opening night at the Horse of the Year Show at the…

EQUESTRIAN:Cork-born Billy Twomey followed up Cian O'Connor's win on the opening night at the Horse of the Year Show at the Birmingham NEC by landing Saturday's Woof Wear Stakes on Whinny Jackson, third place being claimed by his compatriot Neal Fearon and Beowulf.

Yesterday, Twomey and the 16-year-old Dutch-bred gelding could only finish fifth in the afternoon's Zinc Management Speed Horse of the Year competition, won by Britain's Mark Armstrong on Rex.

O'Connor and his 15-year-old gelding Casper were joint-favourites to take Saturday night's Puissance event but dropped out in round three, with Britain's Guy Williams and Una II the only ones to clear the 2.15 metre wall in round four.

At the three-star show in Saint Lo, Normandy, Capt Shane Carey won the small grand prix on Killossery, while there were second-place finishes for Denis Lynch and Schneesturm TSF in a speed class at Bremen and for Eowen Earlie and Domingo in the six-bar event at Tallin.

After a nine-horse jump-off in the latest round of the Bloxham Autumn Grand Prix at the Kernan Equestrian Centre in Crossmaglen yesterday, the winners were Olive Clarke and John Melia's 12-year-old gelding Spitfield.