THERE was a big crowd at The Meadows on Saturday when the McCusker family’s new all-weather arena was used for the cross-country phase of the Northern Region’s flexi-eventing competition.

Regional course designer Adam Stevenson produced two tracks of 90cms and 1m which started in Arena 1 and, after the first two fences, ran on the flat through to the huge expanse of the new Arena 3. Competitors jumped out of this on to a sanded track to finish the course back in front of the main judges’ box.

Hugh McCusker was delighted with the turn-out on Saturday and more than happy to be complimented on this latest expansion of The Meadows, a venue which bears little resemblance to its early days.

Between phases or rides, competitors could watch the televised cross-country action from Badminton at the on-site cafe, which appeared to do a great trade, while the TRI shop also had plenty of visitors.

Riders could compete in one, two or all three phases of dressage, show jumping and cross-country and, of those who completed the treble, the points system resulted in victory for Justine Harding.

She won her pre-novice test, jumped double clear and completed the cross-country phase without fault on her mother Rachelle’s smashing chesnut mare Charissma, amassing 17 points.

Harding, the rider, won an overnight stay for two with dinner in the Maldron Hotel, Dublin while Emma Jackson, who finished second on 16 points with another smart mare, Silken Allure, won a £100 voucher for The Pot Belly Restaurant.

Following her recent collarbone fracture, it was good to see Jackson in top form going into this week’s Balmoral Show.

The remaining prize winners in the top six were Emily Corbett (15 points), Suzanne Jordan (15), Elaine Gardiner (14) and Reese Hogg (14).

Over 100 combinations came before the dressage judges in five classes in the grass front field where the three arenas were beautifully decorated; the arena numbers alone were top quality.

Although not all for him to ride, Donnacha Anhold brought a lorryload of horses over from Co Sligo and was rewarded for his journey when A.P. Topstar won the intermediate class on a score of 27.5 penalties.

The CCI2* at Tattersalls is the early season target for the 12-year-old Graf Top gelding who finished seventh in the CCI1* at the Co Meath venue last year.

Although no longer eligible to compete as an amateur, having ridden in the CIC2* at Ballindenisk last month, Anhold is showing commendable Corinthian spirit by continuing to act as secretary to the Amateur Eventing Committee.

Second place went to Katie Burns who achieved a score of 30.6 for her work on Caracas II who she partnered in the European Pony Dressage Championships at Millstreet in 2014 and Malmo a year later.

Burns has started riding the 15-year-old Constantin gelding in working hunter competitions and the German-bred bay is said to love his jumping.

Third on 35.2 in that intermediate class, John Reid’s Anglo European stallion Centre Stage won (28.7) the novice in the hands of regular partner Jonny Steele with Emma Jackson finishing second (29.5) with her nine-year-old Creevagh Ferro mare Silken Allure.

In Section A of the intro class, Emma Hobson gave her winning score of 28.2 penalties to Suzanne Jordan and her young horse Oby but, in Section B, the same judge couldn’t separate Elaine Gardiner, riding her six-year-old brown gelding Blennerville Cavallino, and Emma Dowds on the seven-year-old Lislap Benedict gelding Mystery Aristocrat, awarding both a penalty score of 32.5.

There were two show jumping tracks going all day in Arena 2, ranging from 70cms up to 1.20m.