THERE was a very disappointing entry of just 13 combinations for the first leg of the Horse Sport Ireland affiliates combined training league which was hosted by the Northern Region of Eventing during the Baileys Horse Feeds flexi eventing series at The Meadows Equestrian Centre last Saturday.

Maynooth’s Emma Egan partnered two of the three horses entered in the EI110 and completed on her winning dressage score of 32 penalties with her six-year-old Kannan gelding Marino. The tall bay, who was bred in Co Dublin by Michael Murphy out of a Guidam mare, made his Eventing Ireland debut last season when he had a best-placed finish of third in an EI100 at Blackstairs in August.

Co Down’s Molly O’Connor finished second with another Irish Sport Horse gelding, her father Paul’s 12-year-old 148cms Rebel Mountain grey, Coolnaleen Rebel (34.8), while Egan was third on Ballytoher Sabrina (46.3).

Tom Nestor from Sallins was also double-handed in the EI100 where he too finished first and third. The 15-year-old won on his father David’s Freddie (25.3) and filled the minor placing on a new mount for this season, the nine-year-old Connemara mare Tullaree Ruby Tuesday (33.5) on whom senior rider Amanda Goldsbury finished fourth in the CCI2*-S at Ballindenisk in September.

Freddie, who has no recorded pedigree, was a well-known participant in Irish Pony Club eventing before moving into EI company where among his previous successful partners were Niamh Hayden and the McKenna sisters, Robyn and Jill. Nestor took over the ride on the now 17-year-old last term when, from 12 starts, they never finished worse than eighth, winning twice at EI90 (P) level in mid-summer and at EI110 (P) level on their final two outings in October.

Rathfriland’s Emma Irwin proved best of the local participants when second on PSH Let’s Tango (27.5) with whom she finished eighth in the HSI EI90 national championship at Lisgarvan House last September. The 14-year-old bay mare is a daughter of the Hanoverian stallion Song Song Blue.

There were just two starters in the EI90 with the sole completion score being recorded by Co Meath’s Caroline Lynch on her ISH mare Quora (24.3) who won an EI90 at Lisgarvan House last April.

That was the only EI start for the six-year-old chesnut mare who is by the thoroughbred stallion Golden Lariat and bred by racehorse trainer Sheila Lavery out of Killossery Donna (by Don Juan de la Bouverie) who she evented up to EI115 level.

The Horse Sport Ireland affiliates combined training league continues next Sunday when there will be rounds at both the Milchem Equestrian Centre in Tynagh, Co Galway and the Wexford Equestrian Centre, Tomhaggard.

Further legs are scheduled for Barnadown on Saturday, February 19th, The Meadows on Saturday, February 26th, Roscrea on Sunday, February 27th and Claremorris on Sunday, March 6th. The top two combinations in each class qualify for the final at CoilÓg Equestrian Centre on Sunday, March 13th.