FOLLOWING an exciting second qualifier in Simmonscourt, 12 qualified amateur riders headed to the Main Arena last Saturday to contest their championship. With riders facing a technical track, just four combinations booked their place against the clock and of those, just one A rider – Darragh Killoran – was among them.

The jump-off track allowed riders to make up time throughout the course, in particular to the Longines oxer and then on the double. To be in with a real chance of victory, they needed a good turn from the rustic to the line home.

Pathfinder against the clock with Killahurler Just In Time, Killoran opted for a cautious approach, taking the longer route back to fence eight but picked up the pace on the home straight which saw him cross the line, clear in 39.12.

Next up and with a win in mind having previously finished as the runner-up, Adrian Gilmartin galloped into the arena aboard Carnaval Cocktail and threw caution to the wind from the start. A great turn to fence eight and then a daring turn from the rustic saw him set the winning clear in a time of 33.42.

Joanna Curran also meant business as she took it on with Intis, taking a more careful approach to fence eight and to the double. Her decision paid off as she delivered a clear in 36.51, which saw her finish ahead of Killoran in third place. A past winner of the championship, Paul Carroll wasted no time with Kabran de Reve Z, but took a longer line to fence eight and crossed the beams in 34.28 to take the runner-up spot.

Sheikh Samir Mirdad and Mirdads Maaa Shaaa Alllah looked set for a clear in the first round, but four faults at the combination and crossing the line in 69.82 meant he finished as the fastest of the four-faulters to slot into fifth. Lorraine Younge and Belfield Light faulted at the Longines oxer and came home in 75.64 for sixth.

Gilmartin said: “I just went for it, it was a case of win or lose. I rode her like I stole her and it paid off. I would like to thank Cathal McMunn for his help in training.”

Owned by Gilmartin and bred by K.R. Cooper, the 13-year-old mare is by Kannan out of the Carnaval Drum-sired dam Carnaval Supreme. The pair had finished fourth in the first qualifier to book their RDS place. Before Dublin, they had clocked up a series of results at the Amateur Championships at Cavan Equestrian and at the National Balmoral Championships.