IN the absence of the three-time winning Wolf Bitz, the Kuehnle family dominated the Oulartleigh Equestrian eventing pony class at the Stepping Stones to Success League in Wexford Equestrian on Wednesday.

Jennifer, who rode the first two in the placings, easily won the dressage phase on 54.5 with Chongqing M2S, who was to complete on 217.5 points, and topped the scores in the jumping phase with Tullibards Lucky Kate (164) who, at close of play, was on a total of 215.

Also riding for Hans Kuehnle, Cathal Daniels finished third on the Irish Sport Horse mare Benaughlin Shikana (212), a seven-year-old by Forest View Clover.

Chongqing M2S, who has competed in two EI90P classes, finishing second at Tyrella (3) last Saturday, is a six-year-old Irish Warmblood gelding who was bred by Morningside Stud. The flashy chesnut is a half-brother to the show jumper and eventer Bon Jovi M2S (by Condios).

Wednesday’s winner is out of a Hornet Rose mare who was out of an Ekstein mare. The third dam, Corniola (by Corrado I), was an international Grand Prix show jumper and one of Morningside Stud’s foundation mares.

Tullibards Lucky Kate, who won two EI90P classes last season and has 141 Show Jumping Ireland points, is a seven-year-old by the Connemara stallion Drumbad French Connection out of the Golden Master mare Lenamore Ma Coushla, a half-sister to the three-star jumper Lenamore Magic. The grey mare was bred in Co Donegal by Geraldine Graham.

The home-based Taylor Peare, who finished sixth on Adrian Burrell’s Baby Buttons, was ‘interviewed’ before the class by Holly Duggan who, we were pleased to hear, loves the colour of Taylor’s mount, a skewbald. The seven-year-old went clear as her young rider predicted but, as also stated, when it came to the mare’s dressage “she has to work on that.”

This interview, along with others from Wednesday, can be viewed on the Stepping Stones Facebook page.

Most disappointingly, only three horses contested the Irish Horse Welfare Trust Thoroughbred Club class with the honours again going to John Bannon’s Sizing Alberta (183.5).

The French-bred grey, a seven-year-old by Lord Du Sud out of the Irish-bred Etoile Rose (by Montjeu), was ridden by Clare Lambert as he had been when winning the first two legs of the series. He didn’t compete last week.

Sizing Alberta, who ran once in a point-to-point and eight times on the track, won a maiden hurdle at Roscommon in June last year when trained by Colm Murphy.

Tell Em Nothin, who, with four jumping penalties, finished second (178.5) on Wednesday under owner Sarah Ennis, only ran once in a point-to-point before the plug was pulled on his racing career.

He was bred by Clody Norton out of a Lahib mare.