TWO Regions of Dressage Ireland held shows last Sunday, the South East running at their usual venue of Spruce Lodge, while Midland and Western, which covers such a large area, moved to Duffy’s Equestrian outside Claregalway.

Anne Marie Dunphy had a good day at the Co Wicklow locale where, riding her national four-year-old champion Pedigree OK, a black Dutch Warmblood mare by Formidable, she topped the scores of Jillie Rogers (List 3) in the 13-runner Preliminary DI8 (76.92%) and of Dermot Cannon (List 1) in the Novice BD23 (73.96). On board her Irish Sport Horse gelding LEB Hugo, an 11-year-old brown son of Woodlander Rockstar, Dunphy scored 68.68 to see off her sole rival in the Cannon-judged FEI Prix St George.

Taylor Deane recorded a double in front of Rogers, but on two different horses. Riding her own ISH gelding Candy Kid, a 12-year-old grey by Sligo Candy Boy, she won the duel for honours in the Elementary BD57 (69.82) before partnering Rachel Dowley’s 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding by Florencio, Insticator BS, to win the five-runner Medium BD61 on 73.10.

A Medium double for the still-sidelined Dowley came up in the Cannon-judged six-strong BD69, which Ellen Lonergan won on the KWPN-registered GFL Nava (67.42), a six-year-old dark brown mare by For Romance. For good measure, Lonergan also finished second on Dowley’s similarly-aged Hanoverian gelding, GFL Flashdance (66.21).

Reverting to Preliminary level, and to the seven-runner BD19 judged by Bernie Webb (List 3A), Hannah Fielding recorded an excellent score of 74.17 on another Hanoverian, DWS Firelight, her seven-year-old mare by Fidertanz.

In the Junior classes, Cael Shanahan won the Preliminary BD19 on the 12-year-old ISH mare Nice One Clover (67.92) and the Novice BD23 with the Anglo European Studbook-registered gelding Santana (66.88). Riding the eight-year-old ISH mare DMS That Jazz, Amelia Cobbe also doubled up in the Novice BD39 (72.88) and the Elementary BD40 (64.84). Anna O’Connor scored 70.36 in the Elementary BD57 with Veenstras Grapjas.

Cassandra Morris riding Lots of Loy, winners of the Elementary E55 with 76.43% and Medium M65 with 71.72% \ Aisling Deverell Photography

Dressage at Duffy’s

Over in the west, Alana Cazabon bettered Anne Marie Dunphy’s day with four wins on two horses, although none of the classes were overfilled. In the three-runner Advanced Medium, where they rode the FEI Junior team test, she was awarded a score of 67.12 on the Dutch Warmblood gelding Kenwood, as was Padraig Flanagan on Qeannaire An Tanaiste, an 11-year-old ISH gelding by Quaterback.

That class was judged by Vida Tansey (List 1), who also had Cazabon and Valerie Murray’s nine-year-old son of Ebony at the top of the second Advanced Medium class on 70.33. Riding her own Polish gelding H-Laron, a 14-year-old Larron bay, Cazabon recorded two uncontested wins before the same judge in the FEI Intermediate I (65.44) and in the Intermediate II (65.29)

Cadhla Curran posted an uncontested victory before Danielle Carey (List 3A) in the FEI Pony rider team test on HS (68.71) before partnering her mother Carmel’s seven-year-old German riding pony by Valdez HS to see off one rival in the FEI individual test when scoring 68.92.

Cassandra Morris landed a cross-grade double in front of Carey on her Dutch Warmblood gelding Lots Of Joy, recording 76.43, the day’s highest score, on the Negro eight-year-old in the three-runner Elementary DI55 and 71.72 on him in the Medium DI65, where there were four starters.

Sixteen combinations appeared before Helen Nolan (List 5) in the Preliminary DI5A, where she awarded her highest score (67.86) to Aoibhinn Bannon riding the unregistered ISH gelding Lough Bunny. There were only eight starters before the same judge in the second Preliminary class, where again Bannon came out on top (67.69) with her traditionally-bred Loughehoe Guy nine-year-old.