Margie McLoone

THE programme for this year’s 10th anniversary Tattersalls international horse trials featured on its cover the 2010 CCI* star winner Bay My Hero who became synonymous with the event by subsequently winning at two and three-star level in later years.

Last week, the gelding’s owner, Catherine Witt, and rider, William Fox-Pitt, returned to Tattersalls with another Irish-bred, The Soapdodger, who dominated the new Cooley Farm CCI* class for six and seven-year-old horses, winning by a margin of over seven penalty points.

“I thought it was a lovely competition,” said Witt, a staunch supporter of the Tattersalls event. “It was a great idea to have the younger horses together, in their own age group, as these horses will be competing against one another as they go up the grades and here they were starting off their international careers in one class.

“If you were looking for a top young horse to buy or had a good one to sell, this was a competition which allowed you do that as there was a high-quality field in the one place at the one time. I’d like to think that our horse has the makings of a good one. He looks the part, has a good competition record and, when he won, my heart skipped a beat thinking that this is hopefully the start of an amazing journey.”

The Soapdodger established his superiority in the dressage arena early on Wednesday afternoon when the ground jury of Britain’s Andrew Fletcher (C) and Louise Smales (M) and Ireland’s James Rooney (E) awarded him a penalty score of 37.60. This knocked Fox-Pitt’s first ride, Dynasty (42.80), off the top of the leaderboard.

Co Kildare’s Camilla Speirs, who competed in the morning’s first session, was best of the Irish in third with Goldman (44.40) while New Zealand’s Jonelle Price, one of 23 riders to compete on Thursday, slotted into fourth with Ascona M (44.70).

In the hands of many of the world’s top riders, these promising young horses had few problems with the Ian Stark-designed one-star track.

Co Wexford’s Marie Bagland thought Ballyeden Mist may have been distracted by a large group of course walkers when stopping at the Dunboyne Castle (fence 3) while young British rider David Doel picked up 20 jumping penalties when, taking the direct line, Mocklershill Buster glanced off the Kubota Brush Corner (18) following the Drop From Mound (17). Even those who went the long way here got home inside the time.

As in the regular CCI* class, the fence which caused most problems was the Brush Corner second element of the Ringfort Sport Horses fence (four AB).

Apart from the quartet who were penalised here for one or more refusals, Ireland’s Austin O’Connor was eliminated when She’s My Master ran out three times while British rider Gemma Tattersall’s round ended when she was unseated from the six-year-old Chillis Gem.

Ballymena’s Tori Dixon was most unlucky to be decanted when Ryans Cazet launched himself over the following Tredstep skinny Brush on Mound while, after a heavy hail shower, Kilkenny’s Fraser Duffy and Miss Fernhill slipped up on the flat between the Failte Ireland Cottages (16 AB).

The Raymond Jess-built show jumping track had its effect on the result late on Saturday afternoon, the most notable outcome being when Dynasty, jumping out of turn, took a rail off the first two elements of the combination to drop from second to 13th.

Three horses sourced through the class sponsor completed on their dressage scores – Creevagh Cooley (Kitty King, 48.30), Uppercourt Cooley (Emily Baldwin, 46.80) and Cooley Again (Laura Collett, 46.10) – and moved up the order to finish fifth, fourth and third for Britain.

Riding her luck in places, Jonelle Price secured third spot or better when recording a clear round on the Holstein mare Ascona M (44.70) but, disappointingly for connections and home supporters, the Speirs-partnered thoroughbred Goldman lowered the oxer at three to drop to seventh (48.4).

As popular with Irish eventing enthusiasts as he is at home, Fox-Pitt’s clear on The Soapdodger was well received and the combination received a deserved round of applause.

“I had three seven-year-olds, all grey geldings, for this event but, to give my owners a chance of winning, entered one [Reinstated] in the ordinary one-star class,” explained the rider.

“I like coming here with my youngsters, my six-year-olds always have a quiet year and, being genuine babies, they come on in leaps and bounds for the experience as they are exposed to so much.

“I thought the cross-country course was lovely. Given the calibre of horse and rider in this class it probably rode a bit easy but it should never be necessary to chase after a novice horse to get the time. The Cooley team deserve great credit for promoting this class, which can help us rank our young horses, while the team at Tatteralls improve the entire event each year.”