KATIE McKee and Denis Currie recorded two wins apiece in the dressage phase of round five of the Baileys Horse Feeds flexi eventing series, staged by the Northern Region of Eventing Ireland in bright, if cold, weather conditions at The Meadows last Saturday.

Multiple former champion Currie claimed the two highest-graded classes on his Irish Sport Horse gelding Arodstown Aramis, with whom the EI Northern Region committee member lies second on the series leaderboard with 48.5 points heading into today’s final points-scoring leg.

In the four-runner Intermediate class, Lucinda Webb-Graham awarded Currie and his 19-year-old Shannondale Sarco St Ghyvan bay a score of 70.7% while, in the Novice, in front of the same judge, they claimed the honours on 76.8. Others to score over 70% in this 19-strong class were Erin McCrea on both Eisfee (73.5) and Rubane Candy (71.8), plus Kim Constable with Urneypark Big Cat (71.5).

On form

Final year law student, Katie McKee, won two of the three Intro classes, starting with the Webb-Graham-judged Section A, where she topped the final leaderboard on 76.8% with Wendy Anderson’s ‘Mia’. Registered as Elusive Clover, this traditionally-bred ISH mare by Elusive Emir will be making her EI debut this year under McKee, while her owner moves temporarily to Scotland for work. The six-year-old was bred in Co Galway by Tom Newell out of Kilcahill Naomi (by Clover Brigade).

In this 21-runner division, there was a three-way divide for second. Those who each achieved 68.8% were Kaiti McCann with her father Martin’s 15-year-old skewbald mare Boyher Cookies N Creme, a combination who won an EI100 at Tullymurry last July and who have finished in the top places in each round of the series to date, winning twice; Holly Rice riding her mother Julie’s ex-racehorse Supreme Dream, the 2016 Captain Gerrard mare, with whom she finished second in the EI80 national championships at Kilguilkey House last September; and Ros Morgan on her Anglo European Studbook-registered Vos Surprise, the 11-year-old Voss gelding with whom she also finished second the previous Saturday.

McKee brought up her Intro double in Section C on board another skewbald, the 2015 gelding Water Paint (aka Bear) on whom she won a 21-runner EI90 class at Tullymurry 2 last July, was fourth in the EI90 national championship and was crowned Northern Region EI90 champion for 2023.

In this 20-starter class, judged by Sally Hodgkinson, 16-year-old Carys Black, a member of the North Down Branch of The Pony Club, finished second with Glencairns Little Monkey (72.3), a nine-year-old pony with whom she completed six runs last year under Eventing Ireland rules and with whom, following consistent placings, she is currently joint-third on the series leaderboard with 48 points.

Although only third (69) here on Saturday, another North Down Pony Club member, Zara Reid, maintains her lead at the top of the points table (55) on her father Gary’s British-bred pony Greylands Diamond Girl. Reid and the 12-year-old bay mare competed in all three phases, also picking up series points when recording a double clear in the 90cm show jumping and a clear round over the 90cm cross-country track.

Anita Doherty riding Goldiva, clear in the1.20m show jumping at the Baileys Horse Feeds Flexi Eventing Series in the Meadows \ Tori O'Connor Photography

Intro win

Twenty-four combinations came before Corey Mawhinney in the Intro Section B, where hitting 70% on the button to win was Robert Newell and his ISH gelding Louis The Thirteenth. The 11-year-old Ballycastle High School pupil Gracie Thompson-Logan, who attended the recent Alain Ponsot clinic, finished second on the Connemara mare Fiddain Dash (69.3), a six-year-old grey by Fairyhill Hawk, while Iveagh Pony Club member Ella Rose Sands placed third with Rosie (69).

Newell, who is based outside Stewartstown, won on his dressage debut two weeks ago with Louis, whom he purchased as a foal through Padraig Howley. The latter stands the winner’s sire, Sligo Candy Boy, while the now 10-year-old was bred in Co Sligo by Thomas Dowd, out of the Ard VDL Douglas mare, Flogas Van Couver.

“I used to jump a lot of horses up to 1.35m level for other people, but I bought Louis to bring on myself,” said Newell, who divides his day between working full-time at Westlands Horticulture, running the Newlough Stables livery yard with his wife Andrea and, currently, also studying equine physiotherapy. “I had him jumping up to 1.10m level, but then he got kissing spines and I had to leave him off.”

The Newells have two children, soccer fanatic Oliver (nine) and his two-year-older pony-mad sister Sofia, who represented the Tullylagan Branch in both show jumping and eventing at The Pony Club northern region championships in Scotland last July. Robert is now set to follow her lead.

“I did a couple of two-phase events with Louis last season and he has been well-schooled cross-country, so the plan is to compete in some Grassroots events this year,” said Newell, who has jumped Louis at the flexi eventing in the 1m class for the past three weeks and is moving up a level today. He also has a new four-year-old Colandro gelding to compete.

“I brought him to The Meadows on Saturday and just rode him around between the rings to let him get used to things. The flexi series is great, as there is plenty going on, but there’s not too much to overwhelm a young horse. I think this is the nicest horse I’ve ever sat on and the plan is to go eventing with him. I’ve been taking lessons with Becky Cullen on the flat and that seems to be paying off,” Newell concluded.