Sweetnam, McAuley and Coyle all second in five-star actionThe gold medal-winning performances of 16-year-old Waterford wunderkind Sam Widger, and Tyrone athlete Niamh McEvoy stole the show at the FEI WBFSH Jumping World Breeding Championships, where Coen Williams, from Clare, slotted right behind Widger in the 5-year-old class for good measure, but there were a number of other strong performances on the international circuit among the established cohort.Darragh Kenny was the sole victor, at two-star 1.45m level or higher, and delivered on the double in his first week of competitive action with Pearl Gem VDM (Oakland Training & Sales) at Old Salem Farms two-star show in New York State (below), culminating in a Grand Prix triumph late on Sunday night Irish time.In the elite bracket, Shane Sweetnam, Daniel Coyle and Mark McAuley were all silver medallists at five-star level with the Cork man and his Olympic and World Championship partner, the Patrick-Connolly-bred Irish Sport Horse James Kann Cruz (Gizmo Partners), going desperately close to adding a third American Gold Cup to their resume at Traverse City Horse Show in Williamsburg, also New York State.Coyle was also a very near second with the previous weeks Spruce Meadows winner, Calippo 57 (Ariel Grange) in a qualifier for the FEI World Cup leg while in France, McAuley was runner-up in the lucrative Longines League Of Nations St Tropez-Gassin Grand Prix on Friday with the exciting nine-year-old owned by SCEA La Tuiliere, Rossi vd Heffinck.One suspects that you could count the number of knocked fences James Kann Cruz has had in jump-offs one hand. Certainly, his catalogue podium finishes in grands prix (now at 27 according to Jumpr) reflects that and so to have the last fence down in a much faster time (below) than the $340,000 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup of Traverse City winner, Beat Mndli (SUI) and his 10-year-old Qoachella was unfortunate.The charismatic 13-year-old Galway-bred son of Kannan, out of a Cruising mare CSF Telly Cruz, has been operating at an electric level this year, most notably winning the Rolex Grand Prix in Falsterbo before competing strongly at the World Championships in Aachen and came into this week off a third-place in the five-star MLSJ Grand Prix.Irish course designer, Alan Wade was the course builder for an elite class that included FEI World Cup Finals champion Kent Farrington (USA) and 2024 Olympic gold medalist Christian Kukuk (GER), but in the end only five overcame the combination of technical jumping and tight time. And only 2007 World Cup Finals winner Mandli and his partner managed a double clear.They were the pathfinders and a clear in 38.03 forced errors from the subsequent quartet of combinations. It did look like a sixth career Grand Prix was certain for the duo as they approached the last obstacle but it was grounded, and the time of 35.61 while good enough for second, illustrated the level of dominance until the final test.Gizmo jumped great today in both rounds, Sweetnam reflected. It was a difficult course and the time was a factor. I think [Alan Wade] had the right number of clears. In the jump-off I probably got greedy in the last line and paid the price but the horse jumped great. It wouldve been nice to get the win but its been a good class for me and the horse. Hopefully well be back to try to win next year.Coyle narrowly missed out on victory at the highest level too the previous day in the $62,500 American Gold Cup Winning Round, as Daniel Bluman (ISR) took the win aboard Gemma W. In the unique format, with only the top 10 returning, a number of clear rounds did not make the jump-off.The Derry athlete and his progressive horse Calippo 57 were among those (below) and they clocked a second clear in 31.84, which was an agonising three-hundredths of a second shy of the successful mark.McAuley has enjoyed a nice run of results recently, and he continued that with a brilliant runner-up finish on the Riviera.The top 11 returned for the second round, and if the opening test was stern three of those that participated in the definitive round had recorded time faults in their first outing the decider was even tougher.That was illustrated by the fact that one of the combinations with time faults, the outstanding duo of Henrik von Eckermann (SWE) and King Edward, completed the podium with a clear second time around to leave them on two faults.Indeed only two pairings managed double clear rounds, which puts the efforts of Louth pilot, McAuley, and his inexperienced bay into perspective King Edward is 16, and Le Coultre de Muze, who was guided to fourth by Julien Epaillard (FRA), is 15.Victory went to Brazils Marlon Modolo Zanotelli and his mare Charly Heart, who herself is only 10, and they were worthy victors, stopping the timers on 43.30 seconds but by being blemish free over the obstacles, McAuley earned 61,720 for connections and some significant FEI ranking points.Kenny brought looked through the ears of Pearl Gem VDM for the first time in competitive action last week and it turned out to be a fitting tribute to his long-time ally Stephen Moore, who it was announced shortly after the duos Grand Prix success, would be ending a 12-year association with Oakland Stables to develop his own business.Kenny praised the Galwegians role in developing Pearl Gem VDM in the immediate aftermath of the first of their two victories in North Salem (above).They got off the mark in Fridays $32,000 Old Salem Farm Welcome Stake. After 13 of the 47 contestants rode clear to advance to the jump-off, it was the Offaly Olympian and his new partner that sliced their way around the shortened track to post the winning time of 31.99 seconds.Stephen Moore produced this horse all summer for me, Kenny said. He did an excellent job. He did a few three-star grands prix on him and placed in a few two-star grands prix. The horse has been going great all summer, so I decided to bring him here to start. He did the 1.40m yesterday and this class today, and he jumped super. Hes an incredibly competitive horse and very naturally fast, and its nice to have something that can go that quick.I didnt really know how he was going to react in the jump-off. He felt really, really good in the first round. (Fences 1 to 2) he was very good; 2 to 3 I didnt ride great, but he covered it up pretty well for me. The rest of the course felt really smooth and, of course, very fast. Im quite happy with him.They returned to the International Arena on Sunday for the $40,000 feature and emerged with the lions share of the pot. A technical 16-jump track was navigated successfully by 11 combinations but once more, the natural pace of Pearl Gem VDM proved too powerful a weapon, with the runner-up Uma ONeill (NZL), clocking 40.23 with Miro NS, compared to the winners second clear in 38.94.Weve had this horse in the stable for about two years now, but this is my first week showing him, Kenny reiterated. I was just trying to get to know him. Friday, of course, helped with that. In the jump-off today, I could really test how fast we could really go. He felt great. He doesnt like much pressure at all. He has a lot of blood, and you kind of have to sit there and just hold on.Todays course was a very good course. Obviously, the rain coming in had a bit of an effect, but I knew the footing would hold and the jump-off would be quick enough. Hes a very fast horse and very, very careful. Hes very fun to ride. Hell probably try Silo Ridge and Tryon for Major League (MLSJ) and try some of those team classes. He seems like hell be a perfect horse for that, so thats what well aim for next.Daniel Kerins registered a podium finish in between Kennys successes, guiding Malou Blue PS (Gotham Enterprizes) to third in the 1.45m speed class.Niall Talbot finished third in the three-star Grand Prix at La Caccia Stables in Bedizzole just edging out Cian OConnor for the last berth on the podium.Three Irish riders qualified for the jump-off with clear rounds but Tom Wachman and Genghis Khan (Coolmore Showjumping) had a fence down to drop them to ninth.OConnor was fourth, going clear on Zenith VD Donkhoeve Z (WOW Trading) in a time of 42.59 but Talbot and Charming Z (Talbot Sport Horses) were a little bit slicker, navigating the track in 41.77 to secure the bronze.BREEDINGCSF JAMES KANN CRUZ (ISH) 2013 gelding by Kannan (KWPN) out of CSF Telly Cruz (ISH) by Cruising (ISH)[TIH]. Breeder: Patrick Connolly, Co Galway. Owner: Gizmo Partners, LLC. Rider: Shane Sweetnam (IRL).The post Kenny unearths new Pearl appeared first on .