FELICITY Ward was delighted with the performances of her two rides at last weekend’s Eventing Ireland national championships at Kilguilkey House where EPA Orlaith had a nice run around in the DAFM EI110 for six-year-olds, while Regal Bounty continued his return to form by landing the EI120 championship on his winning dressage score (28.8 penalties).

“Unfortunately ‘Cuba’ picked up a serious virus while travelling to Britain during the early summer and it took a long time to leave his system,” commented Ward. “When he turned the corner, we first took him show jumping and he was placed in the 1.30m Grand Prix final at Millstreet. He then had a spin around Lisgarvan and Clyda before coming here.

“I’m really delighted for his owner, James O’Callaghan, that the horse is back to full health and winning. We’re going to take it one event at a time but, if he comes out of the 4*-S at Ballindenisk in good form, we might then consider a return trip to Pau (CCI5*-L). I was delighted to see all the cross-country tracks being aggravated on Saturday evening and watered on Sunday morning. It took a lot of time and effort but was much appreciated.”

Although relatively closely-based, Ward last partnered the Irish Sport Horse gelding Regal Bounty at Kilguilkey in August 2021. The 13-year-old black son of Orestus, by Miriam de Feu out of the Senang Hati mare Edge Of Reason, was bred in Co Dublin.

Not everything went right for John Tilley at the weekend but he did record a good second-place finish here on the Dutch Warmblood gelding Licence To Cooley, whose total of 32.2 included 1.6 cross-country time penalties, while Cathal Daniels, another who spent a rewarding weekend in Co Cork, placed third on his dressage score (33.2) with the now 17-year-old ISH mare Rioghan Rua.

Clare Abbott withdrew the well-placed Mr Mighty following dressage and show jumping, Patrick Whelan was automatically eliminated with Piltown OBOS having incurred 20 show jumping penalties and Daisy Trayford retired Ermintrude following two refusals at fence 9a, the Drop. Only one of the 11 finishers picked up jumping penalties over the fixed fences.