LEINSTER competitors Sarah Ennis and Alyssa O’Neill, who had multiple rides at Ralph Conroy’s Milchem Equestrian Centre last Sunday, departed the Tynagh venue with a win and placings apiece from this second standalone round of the 2024 DAFM eventing development series.

“Everyone was extremely welcoming, from the volunteers to Ralph, who provided coffee, tea and an unending amount of sandwiches in his kitchen!” commented Batterstown-based Ennis, who landed the 18-runner five-year-old class on her winning dressage score with the Dutch Warmblood gelding Ordonnay (23 penalties).

“I first saw this horse at Emerald in March, asked about buying him, and then managed to do so in June or July. I bought him from Greg and Ausra Clarke of Quagga Sport Horses in north Co Dublin, who had purchased him out of a three-year-old loose jumping competition in The Netherlands.

“He did very little at four, so still has greenish moments. He did his first dressage test in the first leg of this series at Lisgarvan, where he wasn’t too sure about the water fence. I will probably give next weekend’s leg of the series at CoilÓg (tomorrow) a miss, but hope to compete at both Wexford Equestrian and The Meadows.”

Ordonnay, who is by Jardonnay VDL, is out of the Iroko mare Rowerna, dam previously of the 1.40m performer Jirocco (by Zirocco Blue VDL).

Ennis finished fourth on DS Are You Calypso (29.5), who had a fence down show jumping, and fifth with LSL The Melody Maker (29.8), on whom she finished third at Dublin, while Alyssa O’Neill placed second on DS Are You Tom (25.5) and third with Dermish Coney (27.5).

Worth the journey

O’Neill recorded her win in the 13-strong six and seven-year-old class, where she led from start to finish on the Irish Sport Horse gelding DS Candescent, a 2018 bay son of Sligo Candy Boy out of Largan Lady Cruise (by Cruising For Chics). Here, Ennis placed second with Dolmen Stellor Design (31.8), ahead of her sister Niamh Tottenham on Slieve Callan Solice (32.5).

A fence down show jumping proved expensive for the Sara Lundkvist-ridden Merrywell Dignified Lady (34).

Alyssa O'Neill and DS Candescent, winners of the six-year-old class at the DAFM eventing development series at Milchem Equestrian Centre \ Sagittarian Photography

“It was certainly worth the drive to the west!” declared O’Neill. “My horses exceeded all expectations and I couldn’t be happier with how they went. All three will be targeting the other legs of the series. DS Candescent (Dasher) was purchased as a three-year-old directly from his breeder, Liam Lynskey.

“In 2023, he was the five-year-old young event horse reserve champion at the Dublin Horse Show. Earlier this year, he was third, and the highest-placed six-year-old, in the six and seven-year-old show jumping championship at Balmoral Show.

“He also won a leg of the show jumping autumn development series in JAG Equestrian back in September. On the eventing side, we finished our season with a double clear for 12th place in the CCI2*-L at Ballindenisk International.”

On a cold but dry day, Milchem-based Jason Doerflinger won the four-year-old class with HSF Cha Cha Cha, completing on his third-placed dressage score of 25.1 penalties. This ISH mare is a member of the second crop of the Canturo stallion HSF Canturo Lui and was bred by Horan Stud Farm’s Owen Horan out of OBOS Clover Diamond Lady (by OBOS Quality 004).

Owned by Hollypark Horses’ Tim MacDonagh, HSF Cha Cha Cha has been slowly produced, her only previous outings to date being to one local show, to Millstreet for a Discovery class and to Scarteen for a try eventing competition. At time of writing, it was undecided if the bay would be aimed at other rounds of the series.

This 15-runner class was peppered with unnamed horses, such as the DS Are You With Me gelding with whom Ardeo Sport Horses’ Melanie Wrynn finished second on her dressage score (26.8) and the Colandro gelding with whom Sarah Ennis placed third, likewise on her first phase mark (27.7).

Co Cork’s Sian Coleman finished fourth with Old Yard Candy (28.3), just ahead of Co Westmeath’s Emily Murphy, who had a fence down show jumping with ‘Sheila’ (28.7), an unnamed thoroughbred mare by Harzand. Co Kilkenny’s Christine O’Donnell picked up eight jumping penalties with BGK Third Time Lucky (32.9), who had been lying second after dressage.