BEFORE the dancing started in The Stormont Hotel, Belfast last Saturday night, the rider who spent more time than most on her feet at the Eventing Ireland Northern Region awards ball was Castlewellan’s Ciarraí Rice, who left her table to collect four awards.

A veterinary nurse at Donard Veterinary Clinic, Ciarraí won the Hanna trophy, which is presented to the NR rider over 18 years of age who accumulates most points throughout the season at NR events on a single horse.

Ciarra Rice EI 100 amateur winner and husband Jack, grooms award winner, at the Eventing Ireland NR ball \ Sporting Images NI

Riders who have competed at two-star level or higher in the current year are not eligible.

That single horse was the Irish Sport Horse mare Lady J, on whom Ciarraí also won the Region’s EI100 (Amateur) award, the Juniper Green & Kells trophy (given to the Society by Georgia Stubington as a tribute to her two great mares and presented annually to the mare gaining best placings at NR events) and the Equipe Saddles Ireland grassroots league.

Helen Dempsey of Equipe Saddles Ireland was in attendance to present prizes to the top six in the league, Rice and Lady J, a seven-year-old Hallo Picasso bay, topping the leaderboard ahead of Tilley Tumilty on Barnadown Lad, Ros Morgan with VOS Surprise, Elaine O’Connor (Tullymurry Masha), Maya Constable (Rockon Pedro) and Katie McKee with Water Paint,

Thanks to Ciarraí, her husband Jack Rice was also a winner on the night and you can read all about this success in Pony Tales (page 107).