FOR the third time, and the second year in succession, Gloucestershire’s Yvonne Goss won last Saturday’s Complete Utilities Golden Button Challenge in which the starting line-up of 62 competitors included 27 riders from Ireland.

Goss, who landed the inaugural Challenge in 2006, was also crowned first lady and first veteran rider home on Untilla Legend, an 11-year-old Midnight Legend gelding.

The Challenge, over three miles and 27 imposing hedges, ditches and post and rails fences in the Ledbury Hunt country, attracted a wide variety of contenders with second place being filled by British point-to-point rider Alex Vaughan-Jones and Gorran Haven, a nine-year-old Stowaway gelding.

Another British amateur, Milo Herbert, claimed the Under 21 button when third on the French-bred gelding Rivage D’Or who won the cross-country chase at the 2015 Cheltenham Festival for Tony Martin.

Best of the Irish in fourth was Dave Bennett who won two buttons as highest-placed overseas and heavyweight rider. From Malahide, Bennett, who runs Kinsealy Landscapes and whips-in on Tuesdays with the Fingal Harriers, is one tough cookie being on dialysis three times a week, and hunting with the Ledbury on Friday, he cracked a rib in a fall.

“I wasn’t going to ride in the Challenge I was that sore but I took a load of painkillers. Then on the way to the start, which was about three miles of a hack, I was bucked off. I was in two minds about riding but I got back on.

“We jumped off last but I never had a problem after and it was fantastic to finish fourth and win two buttons. I went to the hunt ball on Saturday night but I had to leave early as I was in some pain by then!”

Bennett rode the 12-year-old Dare To Endeavour who he only got three weeks ago from trainer Paddy Griffin. He is now joining the Peter Maher yard ahead of the Punchestown Festival.

Best of the Irish lady riders was Co Kildare-based physiotherapist and former amateur Caroline Woods (seventh) on the 15-year-old Quws gelding Reality Dose.

Diarmuid Ryan was presented with a golden button having finished eighth. The Graiguenamanagh veterinary surgeon hunted two horses on Friday, rode Heather Moodie’s British-bred Primo in the challenge, hunted one of his two Irish horses on Sunday, sold both and returned to Ireland with another horse!

Tipperary Hunt member Louise O’Brien, didn’t have much luck, eventually finishing 13th with her home-bred mare A Kept Woman.

Among those who failed to finish were flat jockey Gary Carroll who fell at the first with Rubi Light, amateur turned bloodstock agent J.D. Moore, and Peter Maher.