Kilkenny’s Seamus Hughes-Kennedy claims superb fifth place finish in European Individual Final – Darragh Kenny seventh

A stunning performance from 22-year-old Seamus Hughes Kennedy and the 10-year-old Irish-bred gelding ESI Rocky (ISH) saw them secure a brilliant fifth place finish following today’s (Sunday) Longines FEI Jumping European Championships Individual Final at A Coruña in Spain.

They came into the final round in seventh place after jumping three clear rounds at the Championships earlier this week. Another clear with just a time fault in the first round of the final, moved them up to fifth and they secured a fifth place finish overall when they jumped yet another clear in the deciding round. Hughes-Kennedy, who was the youngest rider in the competition, finished on a final score of 3.16 penalties.

Offaly’s Darragh Kenny made it two Irish riders in the top seven after he jumped double clear in today’s final with Eddy Blue to finish in seventh place overall 3.91. Both Irish riders finished less than a fence off the gold medal which was won by Germany’s Richard Vogel and United Touch S on a score of 0.01.. Britain’s Scott Brash and Hello Folie finished in Silver with a score of 1.08, with the Bronze medal going to Belgium’s Gilles Thomas and Ermitage Kalone (1.37).

Today’s result comes after the Irish team, that also included Denis Lynch and Bertram Allen, finished just one place outside the medals in fourth in the team final on Friday.

BREEDING
ESI Rocky (ISH) 2015 gelding by Stakkato Gold (HANN) out of Clonaslea (BWP) by For Pleasure (HANN) Breeder: Ennisnag Stud owned by Clare Hughes ridden by Seamus Hughes-Kennedy.