Superb Longford performances at the Gallagher Dublin Horse Show
Longford’s Derek McCoppin and Explosief's Legacy finished third in the Defender Puissance at the Gallagher Dublin Horse Show
There were several superb Longford performances at the Gallagher Dublin Horse Show.
Clonterm jockey Derek McCoppin, who has been based in England for a number of years, finished third in the Defender Puissance after a dramatic RDS jump-off on Saturday evening, August 8.
Son of Ned and Margaret (nee Rooney from Rathcline), Derek and his horse Explosief's Legacy cleared the intimidating wall as it stood at 2.15m, as did Jordan Coyle on Eristov (owned by the rider and Elan Farm) and Rachael Proudley on Easyboy de Laubry Z.
With Coyle and Proudley failing to clear the 2.25m wall in the final jump-off, McCoppin and Explosief’s Legacy (Addington Stables) had the opportunity to win it. However, they unfortunately posted eight faults, and it was Coyle and Proudley that shared the honours.
Derek and his team were incredibly proud of their achievement, and posted on their McCoppin & Brown Sports Horses Instagram account, “What a show, and what an experience! To finish an outstanding 3rd place in the Puissance at Dublin Horse Show is something we’ll never forget.”
The Clonterm connection continued on Sunday, August 9, as Clonterm Obolensky, owned by Ollie Glancy Jnr, lined up with Conor Swail as one of forty horses in the €1 million Rolex Grand Prix, one of the richest prizes in showjumping. It wasn’t to be, however, as they recorded four faults in the first round.
Remarkably, the Glancy and McCoppin families are near neighbours in Clonterm.
Clonterm Obolensky was produced as a young horse by Ollie, who rode him at the RDS as a five-year-old in 2021 (finishing 7th in the Five Year Old class) and also at the World Young Horse Championships in Lanaken.
Soon after, Ollie, who is also well known through his involvement in the family business, Glancy Enviro, went into partnership with top Irish rider, Conor Swail. Based in the US, Swail and the horse rose rapidly to No 13 in the world.