THE Young Eventhorse Series (YES!), which also acts as a qualifying conduit for the young event horse classes at the Dublin Horse Show, this week moved on to Munster, where the Ryan family hosted the second leg at Scarteen on Tuesday.

The YES! organisers and the Ryans were pleased that there was personal or familial representation of the four riders, whose selection for the Olympic Games was announced on Monday, extending congratulations to the competing Sarah Ennis, to mothers Liz O’Connor and Callie Berry and to the busy Paul Donovan, who sourced Aoife Clark’s ride, Sportsfield Freelance.

This week’s international judges for the ridden phase were Britain’s Sue Benson and Judy Bradwell; Co Clare’s Marian Slattery assessed horses in the presentation phase for suitability and potential; Patricia Lalor judged the jumping phase for faults, et cetera; while the suitability and potential judges in the Derby Arena were Co Down veterinary surgeon and thoroughbred breeder Callie Berry (four and five-year-old horses) and Co Kilkenny-based British international rider Nicky Roncoroni.

“I really enjoyed seeing the depth of the four and five-year-olds,” commented Bradwell. “The standard of horses was good, especially the four-year-olds, and most had amazing temperaments, not being fazed by the ordeal of a dressage test. Only a few horses were ridden with too much hand, becoming overbent.

“It was great to see so many of your top riders producing young horses well, with excellent riding and the turn-out of many horses was superb. I did think, however, that many riders rode with very short stirrups, making it difficult to have sufficient leg and seat to ride well in the dressage phase; it’s easy to shorten as they go in to the jumping phase. I just wished I could have stayed longer and seen more of the jumping over a lovely varied course. Ireland certainly produces lovely young horses.”

Benson was just as complimentary: “Having completed a full day of judging at Scarteen, I am hugely impressed with the system now in place to search for the stars of the future. With nice flowing dressage tests for the four and five-year-olds, there was plenty of talent on show.

“Most horses were accomplished in the basics of dressage and many were very well-ridden. It’s important that riders understand that a happy young horse going in a novice outline is better than a tense young horse being pressurised into an advanced outline while still physically immature. I saw some quality horses with good paces and calm temperaments. Competitions like this play a huge part in their futures.

“Everyone looks for potential stars in different ways, but searching through the entries at the YES! competitions must be one of the best,” continued Benson. “As an English judge on Irish turf, I can’t help but admire the enthusiasm, dedication and hard work that goes on behind the scenes to enable breeders, riders and owners such useful opportunities to show off their youngsters. It’s no wonder British buyers cross the sea in search of potential stars.”

Ciara Power and Stonehaven’s Dreaming won Section B of the Five-year-old Young Eventhorse Series qualifier at Scarteen \ Tadhg Ryan / Bit-Media

Five-year-olds

British international rider Daniel Alderson, who is based at Orla Byrne’s Forest Lane Stables in Kilmacthomas, qualified two five-year-olds on Tuesday. These were the Lenihan family’s home-bred Irish Sport Horse gelding Seafield Celt, who won Section A with 315.2 points, and his own Seafield B Lucky, an ISH gelding by Ganesh Hero Z, who finished third (306.7) in Section B. By Celtic Hero BZ, the bay Seafield Celt is out of Janis B, an Etter Sportpferde-bred mare by Radolin.

Cathal Daniels finished second in Section A on Hans Kuehnle’s ISH mare Tullibards Be The One, a brown daughter of Cormint, who qualified with 306.8 points, and third on Paul Donovan’s ISH gelding KBS Quality Quartz, who narrowly failed to qualify on 305.8.

Ciara Power, a regular participant and winner in these young horse classes, topped the final leaderboard in Section B to qualify with her own and the Dreaming Syndicate’s ISH gelding Stonehavens Dreaming (313.2 points). Fraser Duffy qualified in second with Carol Gee’s ISH gelding RNH Othello (311), a grey son of Livello. Both horses recently competed in the five-year-old Dubarry Burghley young event horse qualifier at Millstreet, where they finished fifth and 11th.

Bred in Co Waterford by Vahe Bogossion, the Querlybet Hero bay Stonehavens Dreaming, who has successfully competed under Showjumping Ireland rules, is out of Ballinamonapark Jody. That 2013 Jack Of Diamonds mare is a half-sister to the Warrenstown You 2 gelding Fernhill Hotshot, who was successfully campaigned here by Fraser Duffy in young event horse classes and then with Eventing Ireland before being sold to the United States.

Paul Donovan may have been disappointed that KBS Quality Quartz didn’t qualify, but he had nothing to complain about following Section A of the four-year-old class, where two bay ISH geldings from his Co Tipperary yard qualified in first and second.

The winner, ridden by Sweden’s Sara Lundkvist, was the Olympic Lux-sired Olympic Bay (286.4 points), who was bred in Co Laois by Eamon Kenny out of the Russel mare Levallys Girl, while French international Corentin Gautier was on board Sportsfield Cool Hutch (272.2), a son of Coolkeeran.