In an emotional night in Monterrey, Darragh Kenny and his long-time partner, VDL Cartello, secured their maiden five-star Grand Prix win in the GNP Seguros Grand Prix, just weeks before the 17-year-old stallion’s planned retirement from competitive show jumping. This victory was a fitting tribute to a horse that has brought Kenny so many career highs, competing in top-flight events worldwide and twice representing Ireland at the Olympics.

Kenny and Cartello have shared countless victories, including key roles on the Irish Show Jumping team for Nations Cups under Michael Blake, most recently in Paris. Yet a five-star Grand Prix had always eluded them—until now. In the early hours, Irish time, at the Club Hípico La Silla, the pair delivered a flawless round, blazing through the jump-off with a clear in 36.27 seconds, fending off some of the sport’s finest riders.

Italy’s Emanuele Camilli came within eight-hundredths of a second with Odense Odeveld but couldn’t quite edge out the Irish duo. Sameh El Dahan of Britain took third with WKD Aimez Moi, while Germany’s Christian Ahlmann finished fourth on Dourkhan Hero Z, each of them separated by fractions of a second in a thrilling finale. Shane Sweetnam and RR Combella also represented Ireland in fine form, taking eighth place after narrowly missing the jump-off with a time fault.

Reflecting on Cartello’s final Grand Prix victory, Kenny was visibly moved: “He’s made so many of my dreams come true at the highest level, so to win this Grand Prix on him towards the end of his career is incredibly special. He’s been an unbelievable partner, and honestly, every moment has been a joy.” Kenny’s all-or-nothing strategy in Monterrey was clearly rewarded. “We’ve always just missed out on that five-star win, so I thought, why not risk it all? I’ve never gone this fast with him before. He’s a super-brave horse, so I could take the tight lines from one to two, race to the oxer, and even risk it at the wall. He brushed it, but it stayed up. To do this, here, with him, is beyond words.”

The night also brought good news for other Irish riders. Conor Swail, riding My Lady Lavista, finished in sixth, propelling him to the top of the Major League Show Jumping individual standings, overtaking America’s Kent Farrington. Earlier in the day, Richard Howley from Sligo clinched five-star honours with Mansini Ltd, building on his performance the night before with Zodiak Du Buisson Z to help the Roadrunners maintain their lead in the team event standings.

All eyes will now turn to Geneva, where VDL Cartello will make his final competitive appearance in just over five weeks. Meanwhile, the Major League Show Jumping circuit heads to La Quinta, California, for the season’s final stages at the Desert International Horse Park, culminating in the $1 million Coachella Cup and individual final in December, followed by the team championship.

In Monterrey, however, the night belonged to Kenny and Cartello—a partnership that’s defined by trust, bravery, and, at long last, a five-star Grand Prix victory to cap a glittering career.