Success but Floody wins and loses at same time

Bettystown native John Floody, who is based at Newgrange Stud, Beauparc, recorded another major success at the weekend. The Meath man captured the Kingsland/SJI Autumn Grand Prix League despite the cancellation of the final round at Cavan Equestrian Centre on Sunday. Floody won the title following some excellent performances with his nine-year-old Larkhill Cruiser which was one of the most successful horses on the Irish circuit this year. However, success comes at a price and Ratoath-based Cian O'Connor, a former student of Floody, purchased the gelding for an amount believed to be in the region of €200,000. “I had the riding school beside the Village Hotel in Bettystown and Cian started riding there on his father's hunter when he was 10 or 11,†Floody told the Meath Chronicle. “I had a great partnership with Larkhill Cruisher and I was sad that he was sold, Cian will use Larkhill Cruiser to replace Splendor which he sold to Dubai. We have remained good friends and we do a lot of business, Cian had Larkhill Cruiser at a show in Holland at the weekend and will be in Geneva at a big show this weekend and Olympia in London before the end of the year,†he added. Larkhill Cruiser was originally purchased as a foal at the sales in Goresbridge, Co Kilkenny by Michael Smith who is from The Naul in Dublin. Floody had Larkhill Cruiser for five years and won the Chippison Spring Tour last April, which was the first major league event of the year. That also earned Floody the Meath Chronicle / Cusack Hotels Sportsperson-of-the-month award for April. At that time, Floody told the Meath Chronicle that he had high hopes for Larkhill Cruiser. “Larkhill Cruiser is a very good horse, I think he will be a contender for the Irish teams in the future, he was a national champion as a six-year-old and was the best seven-year-old the following year,†Floody commented last April. The Meath man followed that success when he won the inaugural Leinster Development League and further victories were recorded at Tattersalls and Balmoral shows. Floody maintained consistent form throughout the year and won the opening round of the Kingsland/SJI Autumn Grand Prix League at Cavan in mid-September which is decided over 10 rounds. “I have a few nice young horses coming through now and hopefully there might be another horse of the calibre of Larkhill Cruiser amongst them,†he concluded. Awards will be handed out at the annual Showjumpers ball at Johnstown House Hotel on Saturday night.