THE Northern Region of Dressage Ireland held the second leg of its Brass Stables UK and Ireland winter league last Saturday at Danescroft, where they also hosted the final qualifier in this year’s DAFM Studbook Series.

Most disappointingly, given that this final round included two pony classes, just 21 combinations started in the qualifying competitions, where the judging duties were divided between Dermot Cannon (List 1) and Michael Moore (2A).

Cannon’s comfortable winner of the five-runner four-year-old qualifier was Bangor’s Courtney Akkari with the Hanoverian gelding Bernabeo (83.40%). Here, Hannah Lynam finished second on another Hanoverian, the Donnersmarck mare Dark Diamond (77). Akkari and her tall chesnut son of Benicio also recorded a comprehensive success in the Moore-judged nine-runner Novice BD5 (72.83).

Just three combinations appeared before Cannon in the six-year-old qualifier, which went the way of Comber’s Carolyn Mellor riding Ballett’s Bellissima (71.40%), her Westphalian mare by Ballettmeister. Mellor, voted the Gain Equine Nutrition/The Irish Field Star of the Month for September, brought up a double when recording an uncontested victory in the Cannon-judged FEI Grand Prix with her 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding VSH Gouverneur M (68.26).

In the Moore-judged five-year-old qualifier, Co Meath’s Caroline Lynch saw off three rivals to claim the honours on the Irish Sport Horse gelding DS Bouncer 007 (76%), her multi-tasking grey by Moylough Bouncer. Second here on her new ride O’Macy (73), Co Kildare’s Tara Hayes followed up her previous wins in the series, when landing the five-runner seven and eight-year-old qualifier with Sandora BS (75), her mother Fiona’s 2016 ISH mare by Spielberg.

Moore also judged both two-runner pony qualifiers, which were won by two Connemara geldings. Topping his scores in the five-year-old division was Sophie Cathcart, an active member of the Fermanagh Branch of The Pony Club, with her mother Roisin’s Máistir Ruadh (65%), a bay by Tra Bhain Ceileog.

Eve Lindsay, a member of the East Antrim Branch, took the plaudits in the six and seven-year-old qualifier on her mother Joy’s 2018 Gwennic de Goariva bay Glenomore Tom, who she also competes under Eventing Ireland rules.

On a score of 70.58, this combination landed the day’s three-runner Junior Preliminary, judged by Corey Mawhinney (List 6), who assessed the other two Preliminary classes as well.

Impressed

At this level, Mawhinney was obviously impressed by the work of Eilish Smith, who topped the scores in both the four-runner BD18 (71.15%) and the 15-strong DI6 (73.27) with the unregistered Vos Surprise. This 11-year-old Anglo European Studbook gelding by Voss was campaigned in EI100 (Amateur) classes this year by Ros Morgan.

Dermot Cannon awarded scores of over 70% in both Novice classes he judged. His winner of the six-runner DI27A was Nicole Robinson riding the AES-registered Tantoni Leonidas (70.17%), a seven-year-old bay gelding by Le Vivaldi, while Amelia Wheeler saw off her sole rival to win the Junior section with the ISH mare Lisnahall Miss Toffee (71.72), a 19-year-old dun mare by Song Of Freedom.

There were seven starters in both Elementary classes, which were dominated by Penny Murphy and Jaclyn Brackenridge.

The former fared the better in the Cannon-judged BD6, where she and her Irish Draught gelding Kontiki, a 10-year-old Killinick Bouncer grey, scored 69.70% compared to Brackenridge, who had to settle for second with Comanche Arrow (68.33). In the Moore-assessed DI52, it was Brackenridge and Cindy Cunninghan’s 10-year-old appaloosa gelding, who claimed the honours (67.78), ahead of Murphy and Kontiki (66.39).

Webb double

Casey Webb, who is attached to the Smith Brothers eventing yard, recorded an Advanced Medium double with the 4* eventer Aprils Pacino Time, an 11-year-old bay daughter of Pacino. In the four-runner Cannon-judged BD91, they achieved a score of 66.79%, while they topped Moore’s overall marks in the six-strong DI90 on 66.32.

There were uncontested wins for Joanne Jarden with Rebecca Millar’s Irish Draught gelding Ballygowans Ready Teddy Go (65.61%), a chesnut seven-year-old by Offaly Clover, in the Medium DI67 and for Dale Roberts with the AES-registered Rademon Aachen (65.29), a 10-year-old son of Anteaus, in the Prix St George.