“HE could have gone around again!” was rider Chloe Fagan’s first comment to owner, and fellow Co Westmeath resident, Charlie Walshe following Gervada’s win, on his dressage score (29.5 penalties), in the 33-runner Carr & Day & Martin CCI1*-Intro at last week’s Millstreet International horse trials.

Well-produced through three young event horse series last year – Western, Stepping Stones and YES! - culminating in a third-place finish in the five-year-old final at the Dublin Horse Show, the thoroughbred gelding had one run in an EI90 in 2022. He didn’t compete with Eventing Ireland last season, but from three completed national events this year – Kilguilkey House being abandoned – he won an EI100 at Crecora in April and an EI105 at Hillcrest last month.

Gervada ran once when in training with Ciaran Murphy, twin brother of international event rider Joseph, finishing eighth of 13 in a three-year-old maiden hurdle at Ballinrobe in August 2021. Bred by Rory O’Brien, the bay son of Vadamos is out of the Deposit Ticket mare Gerobies Girl, who was a winner herself and the dam of three winners on the flat.

“This was a lovely international introduction for a young horse,” said 21-year-old Fagan, who has just finished third year studying business and French at DCU. “The show jumping was very fair and the cross-country asked enough nice questions to bring on a young horse. I must credit Charlie for all the hard work she has done with the horse.”

“Wasn’t he a good boy?” enthused Walshe. “He just goes out and does his job and does it correctly. I’m very happy with him. Coming here, I expected him to finish in the top 10, so it was fantastic to win. I ride him Monday to Friday and then Chloe sits up at shows or events. I’m going down the coaching road more and more these days, so the horse will go on the market. If he’s not sold, I’ll aim at that new CCI2* for thoroughbred horses at Cornbury House next year.”

As one young rider celebrated victory, it was very much the opposite for Ciara O’Connor (16), who, in her first year out of ponies, led going into Sunday’s final cross-country phase on her aunt Sharon O’Connor’s home-bred ISH mare Ashwood Iron Lady (27.6). Unfortunately, when crossing the finishing line, the Co Wexford combination had picked up two time penalties, which dropped them to second. Cathal Daniels placed third with Sarah Hughes’s consistent seven-year-old ISH gelding Shannondale Micah (31.6).

One combination was eliminated in the show jumping phase and one across the country.