Athlone showjumper Francis Derwin claimed victory in a two-star Grand Prix qualifier at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala, Florida, continuing his strong start to the season. Riding the 10-year-old Gospel Tame, he finished more than a second and three-quarters ahead of runner-up Hunter Holloway from the USA. Derwin credited his success to the support from trainer Cian O’Connor.
Francis Derwin, based in Athlone, has been overseeing a group of young horses in Florida from Cian O’Connor’s Karlswood Stables in Meath. In the opening week of the new showjumping season, Derwin achieved his first win of the World Equestrian Center series with Gospel Tame.
The pair dominated the two-star Grand Prix qualifier, outperforming all competitors by a significant margin. This success follows a promising start for Derwin, who secured a couple of podium finishes and other strong results earlier in the week.
Gospel Tame, now 10 years old, has been developed by O’Connor since he was five. Speaking after the win, Derwin expressed gratitude for the opportunity. “Gospel is 10 years old now. He’s been produced very well. Cian has had him since he was five,” he said. “I am very happy to have a great team of horses here. Thanks to Cian for trusting me with them. I am here for the whole circuit and have 10 horses here. I came last winter to watch for just that night, and when Cian suggested coming here next winter, I straight away said yes. It’s an unbelievable place to be. I just think the place itself is unbelievable. There’s no place else in the world like it, and it’s a great place for the horses."
Derwin plans to compete throughout the circuit, building on this early momentum under O’Connor’s guidance.
