LAST Sunday, the Border Counties club hosted a qualifier at Cloncaw Equestrian for the Association of Irish Riding Clubs TRI Equestrian national horse trials championships which will be held at Lisgarvan House, Co Carlow, in September.

Unfortunately for the organisers, the recent spell of exceptionally hot weather meant that many riders didn’t have their horses fit enough or they were concerned that ground conditions would be too hard.

However, competitors who attended were very complimentary of the going as the Glaslough, Co Monaghan venue had benefitted from heavy downpours in mid-June and rain over the preceding week.

Riders also commended Border Counties on the friendly, efficient way everything ran and for putting at their ease those competitors taking part in their first one-day event.

Dressage judges for the morning were Will McAuley and Emma Hobson while Mary McAllister took charge of the show jumping ring. There, a variation of the course used at the two recent Eventing Ireland one-day events at the Bellew family’s equestrian centre jumped exceptionally well with a number of riders remaining on their dressage scores after two phases.

The cross-country phase ran over the undulating farmland at Cloncaw Equestrian with riders at both Open and Advanced Intermediate level jumping a variety of the fences from the Adam Stevenson-built EI courses while those competing in the Intermediate and green horse classes tackled a mix of EI fences and those built for the Area 17 Pony Club Tetrathlon. The Advanced Primary track consisted of a mix of fences from the Pony Club competition and portables.

STUNNING SCENERY

All tracks took in the breath-taking views from the top of Cloncaw Equestrian which saw a few riders add time penalties to clear runs across the country.

In the two-runner Advanced Open class, Castle Leslie’s Orla Sheehan led from start to finish on Monmurry Soverign, her 16-year-old grey gelding by Accondy, although picking up 9.2 time penalties on the final leg for a total of 36 penalties. Riding Caroline McQuillan’s Foxtail Orchid, Robert Murdy of Ross House ventured into the sphere of eventing for the first time but this discipline might not replace show jumping due to the all-important dressage phase!

Eight competitors started in the Advanced Intermediate class where Tara Hill’s Sally Cunningham completed on her winning dressage score of 33.3 penalties. Cunningham, who had been in regular contact with the organisers about the ground conditions, rode Graf Landlord a 17-year-old Limmerick half-brother to the four-star eventer, Graf Liberty.

Benbulben’s Sharon McGowan also finished on her first phase score with Somethings Gotta Give (35.5), a 13-year-old Master Imp gelding she competes under EI amateur rules, with Castle Leslie members filling the next four places.

Sheena Kerr-McNally, another EI amateur competitor, won the Intermediate class on her 10-year-old bay gelding Pegasus, the Castle Leslie combination finishing on their impressive dressage score of 26.5 penalties. This left them over 10 penalties ahead of the second-placed Stacy Forsyth of Drynam and Grey Dawn Rebel whose total of 36.9 included 0.4 of a time penalty. Both Forsyth and Mosstown’s Patricia Newman, who finished third on Nenagh, were competing in their first one-day event.

WIN FOR BELLEW

There were only three starters, and two finishers in the green horse/young horse class. Here, despite eight show jumping penalties and a similar number for time across the fixed fences, the host club’s Rosemary Bellew finished first on the 11-year-old bay mare OOS Rosie (56.6). Bellew’s brother and Border Counties clubmate Johnathan was a long way adrift in second as the hills tested the fitness of Edenagor Kate who racked up 61.6 time penalties!

In the Advanced Primary class, the host club claimed first, second, fourth and sixth places. Secretary Gemma Kelly recorded an all-the-way success on her 12-year-old piebald gelding Old Orchard Greg (30.3 penalties) with Elizabeth Thompson, who was making her debut for Border Counties, finishing second on Westhill Archie whose total of 34.4 included 3.2 cross-country time penalties.

The organisers would like to thank Baileys Horse Feeds, Leovet, Equi Pro and Etch a Code for their sponsorship as well as the many volunteers and the competitors who travelled to this annual event.