Gowran Park, an 8 year old Irish Sport Horse mare, won her first major Grand Prix in the United States last Sunday. Run at the Ox Ridge Horse show in Connecticut.

Gowran Park (ISH) began her week well by placing 3rd in the Welcome Stakes. The Grand Prix on Sunday consisted of 30 horses qualified, which included some of the top names in American showjumping. Out of those 30 starters, there emerged 6 clear rounds to advance to the jump off, with two of them being Irish riders. Olympian, Kevin Babington, and Andrew Bourns. Andrew was drawn second to go, so he had to really put the pressure on as he knew the Kevin was following him. Kevin takes no prisoners in a jump off.

The young mare, in the biggest test of her career to date, answered all the calls by galloping around the big track and leaving all the fences standing in a time of 43.321 seconds. Kevin, riding his very experienced horse, Capone, set off at a blistering pace in an attempt to catch the leader, but an early error at the third fence put paid to his efforts. Olympic rider Candice King was last to go on her fantastic horse Rebozo , but alas the pace set by the young Irish mare was too fast for her and she had to settle for second place in a time of 47.415 seconds.

After the class 25 year old Andrew said, "I am truly delighted with this win. It's the biggest win of my career to date, and to achieve it on such a young Irish breed horse makes it all the sweeter. Gowran Park only landed in the United States two months ago. Since her arrival she has been catching the eye of many of the top riders and trainers. I've jumped her in three Sunday Grand Prix's and she has been there or there about every time. I just knew her day would come, and today it really has. My boss Darragh Kerins is a great help to me, especially today. Darragh won this Grand Prix last year, so we've kept it in Irish hands."

Andrew Bourns bought Gowran Park as a 4 year old from the Brennan family of Gowran. "She's always been a brilliant mare. She won many Irish Sport Horse classes for me. She has represented Ireland as a 5, 6 and 7 year old at the World Breeding Championships in Lanaken plus she was just piped into 2nd place in Dublin as a 6 year old. Again as a 7 year old she was beaten into 2nd place by a fraction of a second in the RDS final. I am sure this mare has a very bright future. She has endless scope and a great brain to go with it" said Bourns.

Andrew Bourns rides on the East Coast of the United States, where he is based with Sara and Darragh Kerins.

Gowran Park (ISH) is an eight year old mare by O.B.O.S. Quality 004 (OLD), who stands with the Kennedys of Tralee, and out of a Duca Di Busted (TB) mare called Grange Katoomba (ISH). She was breed by Mrs Mary Brennan of Mill House, Upper Grang, Gowran, Co Kilkenny.

Credit Cruise (ISH), another young Grand Prix horse produced by Andrew Bourns now jumping in the United States finished 2nd in the Grand Prix of Upperville just one week earlier. Now ridden by Alexa Lowe of Virginia, this is all very promising news for the Bourns family who continue to produce young sport horses from their farm in County Galway.

Ox Ridge $30,000 Grand Prix:
1^st Gowran Park/Andrew Bourns (0/0, 43.32)
2^nd Skara Glen's Rebozo/Candice King (0/0,47.41)
3^rd Toronto/Candice King (0/0, 51.42)
4^th Holiday/Sara Segal (0/4, 45.09)
5^th Capone/Kevin Babington (0/4, 46.96)
6^th Faroukh/Sarah Wayda (0/4, 47.09)