EVENTING Ireland certainly made good use of social media when it came to publicising the main leagues run throughout the year, most of which were confined to those in the youth or amateur ranks.

The standout winner has to be Godfrey Gibbons, who rounded off an excellent season when competing Irish Sport Horse geldings, Kilroe Lego Land and Kilnamac Kasu, in the CCI3*-L for seven-year-olds at the world breeding championships for young event horses at Le Lion d’Angers in October.

Gibbons won the Kentucky Horsewear EI110 young riders’ league on the Zangersheide gelding Cohiba By Picobello Z, while his overall EI seasonal results saw the Co Galway competitor finish fourth on the runs’ leaderboard (77), second with 38 clear cross-country rounds within the time (38), fourth with 59 cross-country clears and third with 43 show jumping clears.

On the leaderboard for those riders who finished on their dressage scores, Gibbons claimed the honours (27), just ahead of the dead-heaters Cathal Daniels and Robbie Kearns (26). Steven Smith occupies fourth place on 24 with Patrick Whelan fifth on 22.

Co Meath’s Hugh Kelly won the Decron Horsecare Traditional Irish Horse eventing league, with the pony Fairyhouse In A Pickle, a six-year-old mare by the Connemara stallion Gwennic de Goariva out of the non-winning thoroughbred Supreme Honey (by Supreme Leader). The Treo Eile prize for the highest-placed thoroughbred was won by Amy Ennis Crosbie with Herobrine, a 12-year-old Black Sam Bellamy gelding she competed at EI110 (J) level.

Also with racing connections, Carla Williamson claimed the Red Mills league on the 10-year-old chesnut gelding Galco, who she rode at the European pony eventing championships in Germany, while Tadhg O’Haire topped the points table in the Kentucky Horsewear EI110 (P) league with Ballinagore Hero, beating Williamson and Galco into second.

Other Kentucky Horsewear winners were Tilley Tumilty with the Connemara gelding Barnadown Lad (EI90 (P)), Oisin McDonagh with Milchem My Lady (EI100 (P)), Andrew Moore with The Blue Diamond (EI100 (J)) and Maria Fouhy with Hillcrest Horizon (EI110 (J)). With 29.8 points, Jessica Reid topped the EI115 (YR) league ahead of Godfrey Gibbons on both Kilnamac Kasu (24.2) and Milchem Free Spirit (22.4).

The Childéric amateur league winners were Katie McKee on Water Paint (EI90), Ciarrai Rice on Lady J (68) and Nichola Wray with Dylan aka Springhill Showman (EI110).