CARNE Riding Club hosted the second leg of the Bucas-sponsored AIRC South East Horse Trials, this time on home turf at Sleedagh Farm, where the competition was fierce. Revamped fences, together with a change in the direction of the track, provided horse and rider combinations with some interesting challenges on the day.

Local woman Ger Kelly and her mare Kingsford Copper took the open prize, finishing on their dressage score of 41.3.

Waterford RC dominated the advanced intermediate section as Donna Coady and DLS Silver Spring took the red rosette and Laura Byrne and her mare Bayview Hazel took second. Thomastown and District’s Tracey O’Dwyer was third with My Oscar Wilde.

Carne’s own Leeann O’Keeffe aced the young horse class on her mare August Mist, finishing on their dressage score of 34.75. Jamie Robinson and Bayview Harry were second for Waterford. The yellow ribbon also went to Carne after Sue Corish and Copper had an unlucky four faults show jumping.

The intermediate entry was quite large as 25 combinations fought it out and only 0.5 separated the top three. Jennifer Kehoe for Carne took both first and second places in this section. Westwinds Mr Cool finished on his dressage score of 28.0 and Hilltown Hero was just behind him finishing on 28.25. Waterford’s Fidelma Curran and Ballyadam Philip finished third on 28.5.

Carne members were at the top of the pile again in the advanced primary section. Anne Clune and Ragazza Bella finished on their dressage score of 22.0 and taking a close second for Ashwood was Sue Black and her mare Round Park Dorothy (22.55).Sharon O’Brien from Thomastown and District, riding Chapelhill Tommie, took the yellow ribbon on 23.25.

The final competition of the day the novice horse class was won by Carne rider Joy Ffrench and her coloured mare Lilly Rose with a score of 21.25. The Ballycanew combination of Anne Marie Martin and Coolnaleen Cindyeille took blue with a score of 22.25, while third place went to Warrington’s Sarah Harper and Gilbert with a score of 27.75.