Four Irish riders will be hoping for a share of the remarkable prize money on offer later today at the Great American $1 Million Grand Prix in Ocala, Florida.
Scheduled to start at 7pm Irish time, the 1m60 Grand Prix will see Conor Swail as pathfinder, drawn first to jump in the 49-strong field with Rubens LS La Silla. Next up for Ireland will be Kevin Babington and Shorapur, drawn 15th, while Cian O’Connor and Good Luck are listed as 24th to go. Christina Kelly and The Kingdom are drawn 38th.
Earlier this month, Cian O’Connor and Good Luck netted $120,000 for a third place in the California Million Dollar Grand Prix, and will be hoping to improve on that result in Ocala.
A number of formidable American riders are guaranteed to make this contest a tough one for the Irish contingent, with Olympic and World Cup winner Beezie Madden taking part on Breitling LS, and other top US names like Olympians McLain Ward and Lauren Hough, together with Todd Minikus, Quentin Judge, and Lillie Keenan also competing.
Also hoping for a share of the prize money will be Israel’s Daniel Bluman, who delighted Irish crowds when winning the Puissance competition at the 2013 Dublin Horse Show, and Britain’s Ben Maher, team gold medallist at the London Olympics.
The startlist for the Million Dollar Grand Prix is available here, while free live stream coverage can be accessed at this link.
Jack Burns
We Live Horse 