THE prevalent weather conditions had their effect on last Saturday’s first round of the 2025 Baileys Horse Feeds Flexi Eventing series, run by the Northern Region of Eventing Ireland at The Meadows, with a reduced entry and a later than scheduled start time.

Despite the flag being dropped an hour later than originally planned, but as advised the previous afternoon, the McCusker family and their team at The Meadows were up and about early, harrowing from 5.30am to ensure that ground conditions were perfect in all three arenas for dressage, show jumping and cross-country.

As ever, in these weekly reports on the series in the Irish Horse World, we will be concentrating on the action in the dressage section, as the results in the other two phases are divided between those who record double clears. Points are awarded in all phases for both performance and attendance.

Jaclyn Brackenridge riding Comanche Arrow, winners of the Novice Dressage at the Meadows Flexi Eventing \ Tori O'Connor Photography

Intro

Saturday’s Intro dressage was divided, with 21 combinations appearing in Section A before Nikki McKee, who graduated through the programme run by the NR to train a pool of dressage judges capable of officiating at regional events for classes up to EI100 level.

McKee’s winner, on a score of 74%, was Molly Marner, a member of the East Down Branch of The Pony Club, with Gelato who she started riding last July, competing the bay in both working hunter and show jumping classes. The 15-year-old rider was making her dressage debut at The Meadows, but her 13-year-old mount is an old hand at the flatwork phase, having won the EI100 (P) national championship at Kilguilkey House in 2023 under Amelia Scott.

A traditionally-bred Irish Sport Horse, Gelato is by the Connemara stallion Martan Phaidin Mhoir and was bred in Co Mayo by Declan Egan out of the thoroughbred mare Annes Sound, a non-winning daughter of Mull Of Kintyre.

Nicola Wray riding Springhill Showman, winners of the Intermediate Dressage at the Meadows Flexi Eventing \ Tori O'Connor Photography

Marner is looking forward to the start of the eventing season, as is Christine Findlay who finished second here with Parklodge Over And Under (72.8), aka Dolphin, who she purchased three months ago in England. This 10-year-old British-bred gelding by Diarado, who had one British Eventing 90 start back in 2020 under Ros Canter, will be aimed at EI90 Amateur classes.

David Lee travelled up from Dublin to judge the Intro B, where his winner on 77.5% was the well-known combination of Katie McKee riding Water Paint. The Comber competitor and her 10-year-old skewbald gelding concluded the 2024 season by placing third of 20 in the EI90 (Amateur) championship at Kilguilkey House, having won on their two previous starts.

Ami Kwasniewska announced her return to NR company when placing second with Just SJ (70.8), the 14-year-old thoroughbred gelding she competed at EI110 level back in 2021 as Ami McNiece. The Trans Island bay finished fourth and pulled up twice in three four-year-old point-to-point maidens in 2015, when trained by Warren Ewing.

Two young riders associated with Smith Brothers Eventing finished first and second in the 21-runner Pre Novice class, where Vanda Stewart awarded the day’s highest score (80%) to Eve Fitzsimmons and Tiboy des Etisses (aka Connor).

An 18-year-old Selle Francais gelding by Kannan, Tiboy des Etisses was previously campaigned by Anita Doherty, whose final start on the bay came in September 2022, when they finished 12th of 29 in the CCI2*-S at Ballindenisk.

Fitzsimmons, a member of the Iveagh Pony Club, made three EI appearances on Connor in 2023, but missed all of last season with a back injury. The 19-year-old, who is on a gap year from university, is trained by Stephen Smith at whose Gilford yard Anna McErlean has been working since June. She finished second here on Premier Lara (76.8), whose owner, Symone Brown, is on holiday back home in Australia and New Zealand.

Novice

The reigning and four-time Flexi Eventing champions, Denis Currie and his now 20-year-old Shannondale Sarco St Ghyvan gelding Arodstown Aramis, made their seasonal bow in the six-strong, Stewart-judged Novice class, where they scored 65.5%.

However, this was only good enough for second on this occasion, as Jaclyn Brackenridge claimed the honours with Cindy Cunningham’s Comanche Arrow (69.5), the 11-year-old appaloosa gelding on whom she won an EI100 (Amateur) at Tullymurry last July.

Two starters appeared before Lee in the Intermediate class, where the winner was Nichola Wray with Dylan aka Springhill Showman (66.2%), the nine-year-old Lislap Benedict gelding on whom she landed the EI110 (Amateur) title at Kilguilkey House last September and was crowned both the NR and overall Eventing Ireland champion at that level for 2024.

The Baileys Horse Feeds Flexi Eventing series at The Meadows continues today and competitors are reminded that Treo Eile is sponsoring weekly, as well as series, prizes for the highest-placed thoroughbreds (who must be registered, for free, with the non-profit group) and there will be special prizes also for the highest-placed Pony Club and Riding Club member at the end of the series next month.