AS usual, there were two divisions of the EI80 class, as the combined training league run by the Western Region of Eventing Ireland at Milchem Equestrian Centre finished last Sunday, when a bit of rain in the early morning gave way to sunny conditions.

The dressage judge for the finale was Derval Spring, but her winners weren’t always at the top of the leaderboard at day’s end. For round four, the jumping tracks built by regional chairman Ralph Conroy, the league’s host, proved more challenging than previously and clear rounds were very much in the minority.

Two riders led from start to finish, but the only one to complete on his dressage score to win was 14-year-old Oisin McDonagh riding his father Martin’s seven-year-old Bog Mac Bobby gelding Full Moon Magic (28.25 penalties) in the EI90 class. This win secured the league title for the pair.

Godfrey Gibbons won the EI110 league with DS Conn Boy, but that seven-year-old DS Are You With Me gelding lowered two poles on Sunday to finish third behind his stable-companion Kilnamac Kasu, whose total of 28 included four show jumping penalties.

A 2017 Irish Sport Horse gelding by Kannan, owned by the rider’s mother Marie Dunne, Kilnamac Kasu will have a busy eventing season ahead of him in a bid to qualify for Le Lion d’Angers in October. The bay won a 17-runner EI110 class at Crecora 2 in July after which, with a pole down show jumping, he finished ninth of 22 in the CCIYH2*-S for six and seven-year-olds at Lisgarvan.

With one of only two clear rounds, Milchem-based Duncan McFadyen won Section A of the EI80 class on the ISH gelding RDM Ring Of Happiness (30.25), a Road To Happiness four-year-old, who is being aimed at the region’s eventing starter stakes. Here, with one fence down, Conor Dunlop dropped from first to second with Stoneman Tiger Moth (31.25), while McFadyen picked up eight jumping penalties with Kiltullagh Lady Rhyanna (38). Two riders had their first league wins on Sunday.

Section B of the EI80 class was won on her dressage score by young Priya Cosgrave with Paulank Redbreast (27.5 penalties), a 13-year-old 128cm gelding by Rotherwood Aristotle, who has 600 Showjumping Ireland points to his credit. This combination had finished second twice earlier in the series. The early lead here was held by Oisin McDonagh who incurred four show jumping penalties with Milchem Twilight to drop to third (30).

Two fences down put paid to the chances of Leagh Daniels and Blackmoor Crest in the EI100, where they too finished third (31.25 penalties), behind Jack Burke on Flowerhill Blue (26.25) and Becky Scott with RDM Ring Of Mercury (29.5), who both recorded clear show jumping rounds.