AMONG those competing in the Young Event-Horse Series qualifier at the Tullymurry Equestrian Centre on Wednesday was Mayobridge trainer and amateur rider Holly McGahan who returned to the sport of eventing this season having given it up when she was seven!

Holly rode her own Anglo European-registered Mr Reidi, a four-year-old bay gelding by the Holstein stallion Lougherne Carrick-A-Rede out of a mare by the thoroughbred Lakeshore Road. Although they jumped clear over the course of show jumps and cross-country fences, they lost a lot of points for being over the time allowed but the rider was very pleased with her tall, green horse.

Also on board Mr Reidi, Holly took part in a 1m class at the two-phase event at Tullymurry two weeks ago while her son Corey (seven) competed in the 65cms section. She is looking forward to the start of the 2015/16 point-to-point season and currently has three horses lined-up for the autumn campaign.

The Smyth family’s Shanroe pre-fix is as well-known among the sport horse fraternity as it is in racing and Anthony’s Shanroe Shadowfax became the latest horse produced in Dromore by Neill McCluskey to qualify for the young event horse class in Dublin when sixth in Thursday’s five-year-old section under Catherine Robinson.