IN association with the Young Eventhorse Series, the RDS National Equestrian Championships commenced on Tuesday at Lambertstown where Judy MacMahon, her daughter Emily and the latter’s partner, Philip Guckian, put in a huge effort to have the Co Meath venue looking its best.

As two lengthy sessions were squeezed into one for the Young Event Horse and the Junior/Young event horse championships, and were followed by four native breed championships, it was a long day for the organisers but shorter for competitors who were encouraged to leave as soon as their class was over.

The new format for the event horses saw them move directly from Ring 1, where their ridden displays and show jumping rounds were judged by New Zealand international Caroline Powell, to Ring 2 (the Derby Arena) where Co Down-based former British Olympian, Karen Smart, assessed the jumping/performance and suitability and potential phases. Horses were then stripped and shown in-hand in Ring 3 before the conformation and movement judge, British international, Hayden Hankey.

Irish Sport Horse mares dominated the Horse Sport Ireland-sponsored young event horse section which started with the five-year-olds. Here the winner on 93.7 marks was the grey Onceuponatime, who was ridden for her Co Cork owner/breeder Deirdre Connolly by Alice Copithorne.

Connolly, who mainly breeds thoroughbreds, inherited the winner’s dam, Monicas Dream, a daughter of Maltstriker. “A man on two walking sticks visited the yard one day and when he saw the retired mares I still had on the farm, he said he’d like to give his mare to someone who would look after her well. I bred three foals out of her, Fairytale (a 2014 mare by Robin de la Maison), who Alice has evented for me at three-star level, this mare (who is by another thoroughbred in Barely A Moment), and a now four-year-old by the Holstein Cormint (since named Cooley Cormint),” said Connolly.

“Sadly, Monicas Dream has since died and now I have to decide whether I will keep this mare or Fairytale. I’m delighted for Alice as she first started riding for me on an 11.2hh pony in lead-rein classes!”

Onceuponatime, who finished fourth in the YES league, won the qualifier at Scarteen ahead of the Ciara Power-owned and ridden Rossmount Aldi Hero who finished reserve on Tuesday on a score of 92.6. It was a rewarding trip up to Lambertstown for Power and partner Johnny Widger whose niece, Jess Widger, won the Junior/Young Rider event horse championship on their Grantstown Mr Big.

A mare by the Zangersheide stallion Celtic Hero BZ, Rossmount Aldi Hero was bred in Co Clare by Michael Griffin out of Aldi Clover, by Aldatus. She competed in one EI90 class, at Ballindenisk last month, but was eliminated as her owner/rider jumped an incorrect fence on the cross-country course.