ACTION got under way in the Annual Hollybrook Inter Club Dressage League at Brennanstown Riding School outside Bray, Co. Wicklow, by kind permission of Jane Kennedy (Bloomer), now in its 35th consecutive year. The recently upgraded and extended all-weather arena, completed in time for the league, was very well received by all the competitors and, despite the dreadful weather during the week, conditions were perfect last Sunday.

First into the arena were the Young and Green Horses where Foxborough’s Avril Kelly on her five-year-old Abbey got the better of Blanathid Boyd with her recent acquisition Boston. The Advanced Open Class went the way of Michael Moore from Ashbrook with Guaranteed Gold when he got the nod from judge Lynne Cassidy over Rita Holmes with her veteran Prince Barney.

The Open riders followed where Daphne Lush with Millpoint Carnival narrowly shaded Ashbrook’s Mairead Dolan and Master Touch. Third place went to the host club’s Margot Brama on her first outing with Jerry. Lynne then went on to judge a busy class of Advanced Intermediates which resulted in a win for Megan Davenport (Foxborough) on her mother’s Beautiful Dreamer.

Hollybrook captured both second and third slots when Bernie Webb (Savlon) and Brigid McCarroll (Leddy) could not be split. Following them into fourth, fifth and sixth respectively were Helen Sweeney from Long Acre, Angela McCann on her daughter’s prolific winner, Bray Summer Breeze and Dervilla Glynn on the versatile Oki Doki. Having ridden two horses, Michael Moore then proceeded to judge the Intermediate and Advanced Primary Classes. He found his winner in the former when Jayne Kidd (Ashbrook) with Disclosure narrowly pipped her club mate Mags Aughney with FCD Something Special by less than 1%. Mary Flynn (Greenvalley) and Eleanor Turner (Killegar) could not be separated for third place, while fifth and sixth went to Bel Air’s Olive Moroney and Hollybrook’s Mary Malone.

Hot class

A really packed class of Advanced Primary riders turned out to be the hottest class of the day, where Rathfarnham’s Naomi O’Donovan with Veronica Agnew’s really lovely Peter’s Pride emerged as winners, followed by the veteran Lurgie’s Pride and Emma Vard from Killegar. Third place also went the way of Killegar with Aisling Kennedy (Ardmount Rio), while Inga Kasperski and Tonto took fouth place – all these riders scoring 70%+. In fifth was Kim Connor from Hollybrook with Nick and sixth went to Dell Quinn from Bel Air who has recently returned from a spell in the US and was reuniting with Clooninsla Stan for the first time in three years.

A well filled Primary class, judged by Maire Quinlan Pluck, saw Sharon Scott from Greenvalley taking the red in her first competition riding CCS Mulligan, second place went to Aoife Sexton also from Greenvalley, while joint third were Vivienne Young and Nicola Ralph with fifth going to Chloe O’Connor and sixth to Carolann Lennon – all from Greenvalley – a clean sweep for the Club with all the riders based in Kieran Morrin’s yard.

A very successful day was enjoyed by all and everyone is looking forward to tomorrow (Sunday) when the second leg takes place.