SUPER SUCCESS FOR MAC
ARDEE native Mark McAuley recorded one of the biggest successes of his career to date when guiding his horse Miebello to victory in Friday night’s five-star Longines Grand Prix at the Lyon World Cup show in France.
McAuley (pictured), who was a vital member of the Irish team in several rounds of the FEI Nations Cup series during the 2017 season, guided the Eva Lundin-owned 13-year-old gelding to the fastest clear jump-off round in 34.38sec to take the winner’s prize of €25,000.
Thirteen combinations made it through to the second round, with McAuley the sole Irish representative. He outpaced the former world number one, Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat, who had to settle for second place with Bianca (34.77), while the home crowd saw Penelope Leprevost take third spot on the podium for France, riding Vagabond de la Pomme (34.97).
A hugely competitive second round saw 10 combinations jump double clear rounds, with McAuley, who is now based in Switzerland, leaving a string of the world’s top riders in his wake.
There was further success for McAuley on Sunday when he finished fifth, again with Miebello, in the Longines FEI World Cup Grand Prix.
Eleven combinations managed to jump clear in the opening round to set up what proved to be a thrilling jump-off against the clock.
McAuley was third to go in the second round with the Eva Lundin-owned grey gelding and they took the lead when shaving a hundredth of a second off the target of 40.01sec which had been set by Britain’s Michael Whitaker with Calisto Blue.
The French crowd were treated to a thrilling contest where the lead changed hands on a number of occasions, but victory eventually went to French rider Simon Delestre with Hermes Ryan after they posted a blistering clear round in