YOUNG riders from Co Down landed the two lower graded classes last Saturday at Tullymurry, Crossgar’s Sam Forbes doing so on his winning dressage score in the EI90 with DCS Millhouse Platinum (29.3 penalties).

This was a second successive success for 22-year-old Forbes and his mother Lynne’s eight-year-old chesnut mare, who has no recorded pedigree. Also completing on her Corey Mawhinney-awarded first phase score to finish second for the third outing in a row was Holly Wray on R Diva (33.8), while Elaine O’Connor likewise jumped a double clear inside the time to place third on The Clare winner, Tullymurry Masha (36.8).

When Forbes and DCS Millhouse Platinum won at Hazeldene in late May, the same two Irish Sport Horse mares finished second and third although owner David O’Connor partnered Tullymurry Masha on that occasion.

Three of the 14 starters in that EI90 were eliminated, two as a result of falls in the show jumping phase, as were seven of the 20 in the EI80, all across the country. Here, three riders suffered navigational problems as they omitted fence eight, the two-part birch hedges; two combinations parted company on their tour of the track and two others were eliminated following three refusals apiece at Brendan’s Bank (fence 5ab).

Back-to-back

From nearby Downpatrick, Una McIlmail also recorded back-to-back wins at EI80 level with Karen McCrissican’s Connemara gelding Lusmagh Anthem, a 17-year-old Cloughill Island grey who, like his 14-year-old rider, was having his fourth start under Eventing Ireland rules.

McIlmail completed on her Nikki McKee-awarded dressage score (29.8), as did Lynsey Kennedy, who finished second with Izzey Miyake (30.5) and Karina McVeigh, who slotted into third with Cococabana (31.5).

They were the only three to do so, fourth place being filled with one of the joint-leaders after dressage on 28 penalties, Clare Steele who, on her first ride of the season, picked up 4.4 cross-country time penalties with the newcomer Marl Gladiator, a 148cm Welsh gelding.