THE first Dressage Ireland-affiliated show of 2025 was staged by the Northern Region last Sunday at Laurel View Equestrian Centre, where it also ran as leg five of the regional Brass Stables UK and Ireland winter league.

Three of the region’s top riders recorded doubles, starting with Courtney Akkari who, on board her Hanoverian gelding Bernabeo, first comfortably topped the final scoreboard of Claire Ewing (List 5) in the 11-runner Novice BD23 on 76.04%. She then replicated that feat on a score of 71.81 in the Elementary DI52, where 10 combinations appeared before Vida Tansey (List 1), who also took judges’ training for Lists 6 and 5 at the show.

In the Novice class, Eilish Smith slotted into second with the unregistered VOS Surprise (72.5), the 12-year-old Voss gelding she competes at EI100 (Amateur) level with Eventing Ireland, while, in the Elementary class, Akkari claimed the honours ahead of her sister, Kirsty Jackson, riding Alison Roseman’s 13-year-old Scottish-bred Macchiato, a gelded son of Rass Cappucinno.

Akkari was delighted with the seasonal debut of the ultra-consistent and highly-regarded Bernabeo on whom, at CoilÓg last November, she won the four-year-old final of the DAFM dressage autumn development series presented by Horse Sport Ireland.

“He was absolutely brilliant at the weekend,” the Bangor rider said of her tall chesnut by Benicio out of the Sir Donnerhall mare Strawberry. “My plan with him is to keep working at Elementary, as he only moved up for the first time on Sunday. I’m hoping to get him qualified at Novice and Elementary for the national winter finals in April (12th and 13th) at Necarne.

“At that stage, I will be six and a half months pregnant so, all being well, I will then give Barney – and myself – a little break,” continued Akkari, whose husband Chris, a partner at KR Equine Veterinary Services, was in attendance on Sunday. “I’m very lucky that my sister Kirsty is a beautiful rider and she is keen to ride Barney for a few months after his break, while I have baby number two.”

Ten combinations appeared before Coreen Abernethy (List 4) in the Elementary BD5, where she awarded her highest score (64.53%) to Category 1 rider Sharon Getty on her Irish Sport Horse mare Taptoo, the 11-year-old Shannondale Sarco St Ghyvan bay Adam Haugh competed up to EI110 level as a six-year-old.

Abernethy also judged the seven starters in the Novice BD6, where her overall leaderboard was topped by Linda McIlwaine on her ISH gelding Roundthorn Oreo (66.29), a six-year-old son of Vittorio.

Jarden double

It was a busy few days for Joanne Jarden who, the previous Monday, conducted a training session for Northern Region members and non-members at Castle Irvine, Necarne, on the Tuesday attended the Eventing Ireland Northern Region’s grassroots and amateur information evening at The Meadows where she spoke on social licence and, on the Wednesday, hosted a webinar for Eventing Ireland on maximising dressage marks.

Here, last Sunday, she took to the saddle herself, recording a Medium double before Vida Tansey on the Irish Draught gelding Ballygowans Ready Teddy Go. In the BD4, Jarden and Rebecca Millar’s Offaly Clover eight-year-old scored 66.88%, while in the BD69, they topped the table on 66.92. There were four starters in both classes.

Tansey also judged the two Advanced Medium classes, which were won on very similar scores by Lucy Adams and Esdals King W.A. In the BD98, Adams and the 12-year-old Reekamps Eclips gelding claimed the win on 63.95%, while they did so on 63.94 in the FEI Junior team test. Their sole rivals in both instances were Amelia McFarland riding Kingston Rua.

Earlier in the day, Jas Hogg narrowly won the five-runner, Abernethy-judged Preliminary BD4 with her unregistered Je t’Aime Coco (69.75%), a six-year-old Je t’Aime Flamenco mare; Alexandra Ryan recorded a comfortable success in the seven-strong, Claire Ewing-judged Preliminary DI8 on her Connemara mare Ambition (70.19), a Drumbad Fletcher Moss nine-year-old; and Sarah Ross saw off one rival to win the Intro B with the 25-year-old mare Destiney Gold (67.35).

In the day’s two dedicated registered Junior classes, there were uncontested wins for Sophie Cathcart on the seven-year-old Cruisings Ambassador gelding ‘Genie’ (62.5% in the Preliminary BD4) and for Nicole Peoples on the Connemara gelding Ballyhindon Boy, an eight-year-old by Classiebawn Black Jack (67.5 in the Novice BD23). Also winning unopposed in two Trailblazer classes were Tommy Wakfer with the 12-year-old Chiddock Stop Watch gelding Carmens Novello (67.32 in the Under 12 Preliminary) and Ebony Picken riding the Connemara gelding Dalways Perseus (63.21 in the Junior Preliminary).

Coreen Abernethy’s winners of the three Try Dressage classes for unregistered competitors commenced with Cara Collins who, unopposed, scored 67.06% on Mharla Majestic Lady in the Adult Introductory class. Collins won both the Try Dressage Adult Intro and Preliminary leagues on this six-year-old bay mare.

Young Grace Jackson likewise, recorded an uncontested victory in the Junior Preliminary on the Connemara gelding Stracomer Super Mario (67.32), a 2010 grey by Ballymore Paprika, while Elaine Leinster, on board the 22-year-old palomino mare Greystone Golden Lady (68.75), saw off three rivals in the Adult Preliminary.