AFTER the success of last year’s event, Lisgarvan House hosted their international fixture last weekend and even though it felt more autumnal than competitors and spectators would have liked given the mid-August date, the weather didn’t overshadow the event.
With eight international classes and two masterclasses taking place, over 250 competitors descended on the Corrigan’s family run studfarm in Co Carlow. From entry onto the site to volunteers around the venue there was a great atmosphere which was commented on by spectators and competitors alike. The Main Arena was located overlooking the cross-country course and it provided fantastic viewpoints for the action on course over the weekend as well as ample seating around to watch the dressage and show jumping phases. A shopping village near the arena provided spectators and competitors with the opportunity to peruse the products of some of the sponsors and support some local businesses.
The forecast for the week was mixed, with rain and wind warnings forecast for around the country, but the weather held up remarkably well and the few showers that fell were welcomed by the cross-country grounds team. The decision was made to take down the flags around the Main Arena for the dressage phases but other than that the weather paid no heed to the competition at hand. For those that couldn’t make the trip to Ballon, Bit Media provided a livestream of all cross- country action with the support of Connolly’s Red Mills and the Irish Horse Board which made for great viewing for those who tuned in from afar.
CCI4*L
The Cahervillahow CCI4*L class ended up being the smallest class entry wise but that didn’t take away from Grace Cooper’s victory on Cedarmount Cavalier. It’s been a busy year and perhaps with proximity to the Olympics and the running of the last ever Blair Castle Horse Trials may have resulted in the small numbers. The journey from the Lake District was made worthwhile for Cooper and her 11-year-old gelding, Cedarmount Cavalier (Mohill Cavalier Clover x Touchdown), bred by Charles Murray.
“He’s a phenomenal little horse, we’ve come up together through the levels, from our first BE90 six years ago and to win our first 4*L is not something I ever expected,” she said. “He has his tricky moments but with the training provided via the Wesko Equestrian Foundation and my fantastic coach, Olympian Nicola Wilson, we’ve managed to really refine all three phases with him.”
Twenty-six-year-old Cooper made the step up to four star short level last year with one run in Alnwick, but has really cemented that form this year with three runs at the level over the last number of weeks. “My main goal was just to achieve an MER, but my lovely Irish horse Bertie surpassed all expectations, with a perfect XC round, and much quicker than we’ve gone in any of our short format 4* events too. He just made it feel so much fun.”
Melissa Joannides and Patch Ali were the leaders after the dressage phase with the Ground Jury of David Lee, Pollyann Huntingdon and Stuart Bishell awarding them a score of 32.5, five marks clear of Michael Ryan and Claragh Mountain. With the former sustaining a fall on the cross-country at the second part of Kate’s Tack Shop Ringfort Rollers, and the latter withdrawing before cross-country, it left just Cooper and Cedarmount Cavalier to complete the class.
Adding time penalties out on cross- country to her dressage score of 42.2, a delighted Grace said: “He recovered really well after the cross country and was a little cheeky going into the show jumping. He was a bit excited going into the arena and we knocked the first pole down but after that he settled and we jumped the rest clear to take the win!”
Asked about her plans for the future Cooper mentioned a trip to Boekelo to complete her qualification for CCI5*: “Bert is such a fantastic horse who I have a brilliant partnership with and he’s coped with my setbacks including a brain injury and last year a broken back, so just being able to ride him is never something I will take for granted!”