HAVING lost out narrowly to Patricia Ryan in the EI100 championship at Kilguilkey House last weekend when he and she completed on the same score, Cathal Daniels thought the same fate might befall him in the Agria EI90 class. However, here he shared the title with Heidi Brabazon who, too, is based on the Curragh.

Daniels was on board Paul Donovan’s KBS Sportsfield Quartz, a five-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding who was making his Eventing Ireland debut, while Brabazon partnered Sue McCarville’s Connemara gelding Blackfort Melody, an eight-year-old I Love You Melody grey who was having his eighth start in affiliated company.

The pair were lying joint-third after Saturday’s dressage phase on 25.1 penalties but, with double clears inside the time on Sunday, moved to the head of affairs when the flatwork winners on 24.4, Sam Forbes and DCS Millhouse Platinum, picked up four show jumping penalties to drop to seventh. Daniel Alderson and Gorsehill Layla, who had been lying second, finished just ahead in sixth as their total of 27.8 included 3.2 cross-country time penalties.

There was little in common between the winning riders when it came to the late prize-giving ceremony, Daniels having left for home with his five rides, none of whom finished worse than fourth, while Brabazon, who brought just the one animal to Kilguilkey, stayed on to savour the moment with fellow lillywhite McCarville who commented: “I feel like Lordships Graffalo’s owners!”

KBS Sportsfield Quartz slowly amassed eight Showjumping Ireland points last year under Christian Kennedy whose family bred the OBOS Quality 004 chesnut out of the Lancelot mare KBS Paddys Girl. Blackfort Melody, who was bred by Vincent Irwin, is out of the Currachmore Cashel mare Blackfort Pride.

“I was thrilled for Sue and her daughter Katie,” said Brabazon who started riding Blackfort Melody in May and partnered him to victory at Crecora and Tattersalls en route to the championships. “He has now gone home for a break and they will probably produce him themselves next year.” Brabazon helps her uncle Richard with the thoroughbreds at his pre-training yard, Rangers Lodge, in the mornings before attending to the five horses she has in work at home.

Two of the 32 starters were eliminated in the show jumping phase while just three combinations had a problem in jumping across the country.