TIPPERARY’s Luke Coen made a winning seasonal debut at Tyrella last Saturday when he won Section B of the CNC1* class with Stroke Of Genius, his partner in last year’s European Junior eventing championships at Millstreet.

Will McAuley gave Catherine Robinson and Excalibur his top mark of 69.5% which equated to a penalty score of 30.5, with Coen and the eight-year-old Jacks Delight gelding marginally back in second on 30.75. However, the dressage leaders picked up eight show jumping penalties and 4.4 for time across the country to eventually finish fifth as Coen and Stroke Of Genius completed on their first phase score to record a near 10-point victory over the local pairing of Emma Newsam on Aigle Allegre (40.25).

In his first year studying Equine Business in Maynooth, Coen keeps himself fit riding his two eventers and also racehorses for Sneezy Foster. He plans shortly to upgrade Olivia Holohan and Patricia Kneeshaw’s Stroke Of Genius on whom he pulled up his leathers a couple of holes on Saturday. “After riding the racehorses, I felt my normal cross-country length was more for dressage!” said the 18-year-old.

Steven Smith also completed on his flat work score when winning Section A on Caryn and Herbie Walker’s home-bred Newferry Jagermeister who has been brought along slowly by his owners.

The eye-catching grey, who still has some filling out to do, is by the Holstein stallion Lougherne Cashell (sire also of Paul Tapner’s silver medal winner at Le Lion d’Angers last year Bob Chaplin) out of the OBOS Quality 004 mare ISHD Coole Red.

Dromore’s Herbie Purce comfortably won the O/CNC1* class on the 14-year-old Stan From Meelin while one of his neighbours, Robyn McCluskey, was the runaway winner of the 25-strong CNCJ1* section with the 13-year-old Cyrano gelding Rum Jumbie when adding just 0.8 of a cross -country time penalty to their excellent dressage score of 18.64.

Winners of the EI100 Pony class here last month, Chloe Fagan and Carol Gee’s nine-year-old piebald mare Fernhill Mix And Match made a successful transition to CNCP2* level when winning on Sunday after which they headed down to Millstreet to secure their MERs for Ballindenisk.

The one-star show jumping track caused a lot problems with very few clear rounds, while most of the cross-country faults came at the Normandy Bank (eight), the water complex (15) and Sally’s Splash (17).