O’Connor flies the flag in Middle East

Tara-based Cian O'Connor was awarded the Leading Rider trophy after finishing second in the four-star Grand Prix at Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates on Saturday with his Irish-bred gelding Larkhill Cruiser, which he purchased from local man John Floody. O'Connor racked up a total of five second places during the three-day show and also picked up the Leading Rider Award for the entire Arab World Cup Qualifying League that took place over the last five weeks in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Al Ain, due to his consistent top five placings. The Meath-based rider also saw his Irish-bred gelding Larkhill Cruiser take the Leading Horse award for the tour. The Al Ain Grand Prix was won by Syria's Yasser al Sherif and Gemini, beating the Irish combination of O'Connor and Larkhill Cruiser by just over a second. O'Connor was back at work at his Rathfeigh stables on Monday morning and he was delighted with his excusion into the Middle East. He felt as if he did his bit to enhance the Irish image in the Arab nations and he was pleased with the performance of his horses, especially Larkhill Cruiser. “It was a great five weeks away because Dubai and that whole area is unknown territory for me, so I was pleased that it went so well. It was especially good that the two horses I brought with me were Irish bred and both won ribbons consistently,†O'Connor told the Meath Chronicle on Monday evening. “The standard of the competition over there was very high. In recent times those Arab countries, led by Saudi Arabia, have put a lot of money into horses and their training. That has encouraged other countries to follow suit and they have a great initiative to want to learn and improve their knowledge. “I did quite a bit of coaching while I was there and they have asked me to go back in the future to run more clinics. These are the emerging markets and they are very important for our sport over the coming years. “Larkhill Cruiser has been a wonderful horse throughout his career with John Floody. When I bought him, John was watching eagerly to see how a new partnership would work, but John always said to me that 'a good horse always wins' and that is the way it is with Larkhill. “He was in the ribbons again last weekend and everyday he jumped he was placed at least second. I didn't go too hard on him against the clock because he is so competitive and even after five weeks of jumping he still managed to produce some of his best form last weekend. “That is probably because I didn't go too hard on him. I never went to war on him and because of that he stayed fresh and jumped very well for the entire five weeks,†said the 31-year-old Olympian. O'Connor enjoyed the special welcome that seems to be reserved for irish people all over the world and he is looking forward to returning to returning the region to expand his own reputation and that of Ireland's “The Arabs were very fond of the Irish and I got on great over there. They used to follow me around the whole time and watch me mark the courses and work the horses, all just to gain further knowledge and they are very keen to learn,†said O'Connor. “Saudi Arabia is a great market and for me the whole trip was a way for me to go over there and teach them about the sport. It also allowed me expand my brand and increase my business globally. It also allowed me fly the Irish flag and compete with Irish horses, so that did no harm for Ireland's image either. “A lot of those Arab competitors do come to Europe, but they find Ireland to be a bit far away. “However, I got the message across to come to Ireland because we are open for business, so hopefully my visit will be good for a lot of people.†There is no rest for O'Connor as he is set to jump back into competitive action over the next few weeks. The one thing he didn't miss during his spell in the Middle East was the rain and after a couple of hours back in Ireland he was already looking forward to trips to sunnier climes. “This weekend I'll be giving a two-day clinic in Milan and then I'll be back in my Waterside Stud in Tara for a while getting my horses ready before we bring 20 horses to the Sunshine Tour in Spain at the end of February. I will riding there myself as will my stable rider Mark Kinsella from Ratoath. “I will bring a lot of my amateur clients to Spain as well with their horses to compete. We are very busy for the next few months and then the more serious competition will start in the summer. “It is all go and I certainly can't complain because things are going very well for me,†concluded O'Connor who has his targets set on big things in the months ahead. Another leading Irish rider Billy Twomey collected €15,000 for a fourth place finish in Saturday's hotly contested World Cup Qualifier competition in Bordeaux, France, riding the bay stallion Je t'Aime Flamenco. With a total prize purse of €150,000 on offer, together with valuable World Cup ranking points, some of the best international riders and horses lined out at the five-star venue for the show's signature event. And though Cork-born Twomey was one of 12 through to the jump-off, and went clear on his second outing, German winner Philipp Weishaupt could not be caught on time, with just fractions of a second separating the top-five combinations in a nail-biting conclusion to the class. Weishaupt took home €45,000 for his efforts and enough points to lift him from his current 24th place in the World Cup rankings. Twomey, already in fifth place and qualified for the World Cup Final in Leipzig this May, would have more than consolidated his place amongst show jumping's international elite with tonight's performance. Jessica Kurten took victory in Saturday's Ladies' Competition at Bordeaux's five-star show in France, piloting Ulrich Volkhausen's ten year-old bay mare Fashion. The Antrim-born rider was one of 16 to start in this second round of the three-leg Prix des Amazones, and beat French challenger Caroline Nicholas to the post by just under a second. Denis Lynch added to his prize money haul in Bordeaux when he finished third in the speed class with Thomas Straumann's gelding Upsilon d'Ocquier. Picking up €3,750, the 34-year-old Tipperary rider finished over two seconds slower than British winner Michael Whitaker and Simon II, but was one of just three riders in the 29-strong start list to complete the course without taking down a fence. Lynch won on Friday the five-star venue's big jump-off class with All Inclusive NRW, collecting €10,500 for his first place.