Margie McLoone
BELFAST’s Mark Robinson recorded his first Eventing Ireland success when winning Section B of the pre-novice on his own Jovian Moon, with whom he competes at elementary level under Dressage Ireland rules.
On his third start in an event, the eight-year-old Jupiter Du Thot gelding completed on his winning flatwork score of 23 penalties, one ahead of the Declan Cullen-partnered Seavaghan Ash. The latter is a five-year-old Glenhill Gold gelding out of the unraced Davys Instructions (by Safety Catch).
Robinson keeps the Margaret Farr-bred Jovian Moon at the Ballynahinch yard of Lawrence Patterson, for whom he has been riding since returning from England. Mark spent two years at Wellington Riding in Hampshire where he achieved his BHSI certificate.
As she was the sole competitor in the Wilkie & Flanagan Solicitors CNCJ*, Susie Berry only had to complete to win with Mickey McCann’s lovely Parco mare Mullentine High Society. They were held early on the course as fence repairs were carried out but then went on to jump around impressively.
Berry was somewhat taken aback to find she was given 58 time penalties for a total of 100 but these were adjusted to read eight time penalties for a total of 50.
Justine Harding was the only competitor in the CNCP**. She led after dressage and show jumping with My Gypsy Rose but the mare was never really going across the country and was retired at fence 11, the Viaduct Wall, having already stopped at six, the large white tyres.
The Nutts Corner rider then found herself scoring on the eight-year-old Templebready Fear Bui mare Lucy Bready, an unlikely winner on a total of 70.9.
EI newcomer Ciara Collins led after dressage in the pony one-star class with Classy Clinique but she picked up eight show jumping penalties and 4.4 for time across the country. This handed the class to Molly McLucas, who completed on her dressage score of 40.5 with Belle Bijou.
Annagh Kelly recorded her second junior C win of the year on the smashing 12-year-old Ashfield Festy gelding Annagh Storm. Their lead after dressage (22.5) was eaten into with four show jumping penalties but they managed to stay ahead of Holly McClenaghan and Miranda who, on their first EI start since May, completed on their flat work score of 27.
Amy Griffith and Ballymacenallen Arial recorded an all-the-way success in the 27-runner intro class despite adding 2.8 cross-country time penalties to their dressage score of 25. The Ballyclare rider was competing for the first time since taking a heavy fall in the junior C at Tyrella (2) in April.
Ballymacenallen Arial, who had two outings later in the spring under Emma Jackson, was bred by the Irish senior event team vet Hugh Suffern. The unraced 11-year-old Insan mare is the seventh of 11 foals out of the French-bred Cerise de Totes, the best of whom was the ill-fated Leading Attraction (by Winged Love).
On their first start since winning in similar company at Glenpatrick in early May, Hugh Douglas and the eye-catching Rock Harbour finished second on their first phase score of 28.5. This was only the third EI outing for the five-year-old Colin Diamond gelding.
There was a first EI success in the Pony C for Lisburn’s Katie Good who completed on her winning dressage score of 24 with the 11-year-old bay gelding Keltoy.