DENIS Currie topped the podium when it came to the presentation of the Baileys Horse Feeds Flexi Eventing prizes at The Meadows last Saturday and rounded off the series in style by winning the day’s non-league Novice class on Arodstown Aramis.

Janet Hall judged this 15-runner class and had Currie and his 15-year-old Shannondale Sarco St Ghyvan gelding on a score of 71% with another series regular, Alex Cleland, finishing second with the nine-year-old Beach Ball gelding, Lisbeg Rafa Smash (69.5).

It was a good day for male riders as Jonny Mulligan won two of the four dressage competitions.

Hall also judged the 17-runner Pre-Novice division and was obviously impressed with Mulligan’s work on Favino (aka Vino) as this combination won on a score of 72.8% with Lauren Carville, a member of the East Antrim Branch of The Pony Club, finishing second on Castlelodge Osmium Rose (67.8).

Favino is owned by Gransha Equestrian Centre’s Courtney Stuart who purchased the stallion in The Netherlands earlier this year. The five-year-old by Follow Me out of a Hanoverian mare is bound for a career on the level according to his owner who, following a fall, asked Mulligan to exercise all her horses.

“Hopefully, Vino won’t be going eventing although Jonny has said that if we discover he can jump there is no chance he is staying a dressage horse!” said Stewart who is presently working full-time at Gransha, mixing riding with teaching. “Jonny fell in love with Vino and offered to ride him on his first outing and it’s great that it worked out so well.”

Stuart was in the saddle herself on Sunday at the Leinster Dressage show in Greenogue Equestrian where she partnered HH Empire to win the Advanced on his first start at that level. She hopes to add a few new young horses to her team in the near future.

Mulligan also topped Will McAuley’s judging of the sole Intro section on David McClurg’s The Ciderman (68.3%), a 10-year-old Loughehoe Guy gelding who was bred in Co Offaly by Eleanor Campbell out of the Clover Hill mare, Urrahills Altesse. Jon Champion finished second with his 13-year-old Orbis gelding, Orbie (67.8).

Eventing beckons

Making his first appearance in a dressage arena, The Ciderman will now embark on an eventing career having been campaigned previously in non-registered show jumping competitions and working hunter classes.

There were just two starters in the Hall-judged Intermediate section where Alex Houston, on her 12-year-old Clover Echo mare Skyfall Echo (78.5%), saw off the challenge of Helen Faulkner and her similarly-aged Connemara gelding, Derrivane Danny (72.5).

Now that the Baileys Horse Feeds Flexi Eventing series has concluded, the Northern Region of Eventing Ireland has shifted its focus, and large team of officials and volunteers, from The Meadows to Tyrella where today’s annual two-phase competition (which was over-subscribed by Monday) will be followed by four EI one-day events.