Lorna Keogh

LEINSTER Dressage held its most recent show last Sunday at Coilog EC in Co Kildare, with four competition arenas needed to accommodate the 180 horse and rider combinations who competed across 23 different classes.

The regional team competition for riders under 23 years, was sponsored by Kavanagh Blinds and saw a win for the Leinster red team which included Kevin Acres, Orla Harrington and Tara Hayes. Second place went to Leinster green, which included Megan Fleming, Annalisa Zeig and Nicole Groyer.

Marguerite McSweeney and Salancio took first place in the Grand Prix class on a score of 62.60%, with Tara Oliver and Earlspark Loretto finishing second on 62.10%. Marguerite McSweeney also took third spot with Flagranti.

Ruth Hayes competed in the intermediate class with VSH Absolute Turbo scoring 63.82%. In the Prix St Georges, top scores went to Bethany Mackey and Don Fernando with an impressive score of 71.32%, with second place going to Camilla Alexandra Brogaard and Zilver Prince. Bethany Mackey and Don Fernando also took first place in their advanced test scoring 72.50%, while the advanced medium classes saw good results for Aidan Campion with Hannah K and Heike Holstein riding Sambuca.

Amanda Goldsbury and grey VHS Eddy topped the Medium 61 class on a score of 76.72%, just ahead of Heike Holstein and Sambuca (75.34%). Goldsbury also won the Elementary E55 with the same horse. Judy Devine and Just a Dream topped E55 category 1 and placed second in BD53 category 1 which was won by Ciara Kelly and Stoneman Swansong.

NOVICE

Tara Hayes and Bantiss Holy Joe proved unbeatable in the novice BD 38 (category 1) with Camilla Alexandra Brogaard and El Bandido winning category 2. In Novice BD2, Orla Harrington and DBS Goldfever topped category 1 with Jennifer Egan and Contessa SF winning category 2.

The preliminary classes saw wins for Kevin Acres on board Little Miss Daydream, Ryan Hopper with Dalways Frere, Aileen Murray riding Ennell Bound For Glory and Tara Oliver and Furst Romance.

In the Pony amateur dressage classes, Niamh Kavanagh and Beauty were awarded 73.04% while Sophie Elliott and Juliet McGarry earned 77.5% and 74.0% on their ponies Squeak and Perrygrove Owen Glyndwr.

The unregistered classes for preliminary and novice level saw wins for Rory O’Hare with the four-year-old Basil. Lianne O’Shea and chesnut gelding Bento Van De Noordheuvel came out on top in the second preliminary class while Linda O’Byrne was placed second in both classes with her grey mare Irco Belle. John Wiseman and Marian Murphy topped the board in the unregistered novice class with Little Brud and Strawberry Milshake.

Ballymartin Stud and Equine Hydro Spa sponsored vouchers for the winners of the medium, advanced medium, Prix St Georges, intermediate and Grand Prix classes.

The next Leinster Dressage scheduled show will take place tomorrow (Sunday) at Killossery Lodge Stud in Co. Dublin.