MARIE Hennessy (List 2) and Marian Slattery (List 3) shared the judging duties on Sunday at the South Munster region show in Maryville, where a small entry was further reduced by a number of withdrawals, which were no doubt due to the effects of Storm Bert.

The best supported class was the eight-runner Preliminary BD13 in the short arena, where Slattery’s leaderboard was topped by Katie McKeon riding Galtee Honey (65.58%), the four-year-old Kinvara Boy mare she also competes in Connemara classes, both on the flat and over jumps.

Six combinations appeared before Hennessy in the Novice DI24A, a Childeric league qualifier, where the honours narrowly went to Cecilia Foster on board another Connemara, Abbeyside Rory (67.83), an eight-year-old Carracanada River gelding on whom she won the Category 1 Preliminary title at the Dressage Ireland National Championships in early September.

The Slattery-judged three-runner Preliminary qualifier (DI18) was won by Caroline Marwood on yet another Connemara, Silverhill Boy (67.92), Rose McCarthy’s seven-year-old Moorlands Snowy River gelding.

The day’s highest Graded score, 68.75, was recorded in the two-runner Preliminary BD19, where Hennessy’s winner was Amber Lane on board the Marjorie Hardiman-bred Creganna Dancer. This was a first start under DI rules for Lane with the 16-year-old skewbald Moores Clover mare on whom she won the working hunter starter stakes at the Dublin Horse Show in August, having qualified at Mullingar.

Junior event rider Ali Fitzpatrick recorded a double on the Dutch Warmblood mare Kelly, although she and the Governor nine-year-old had no opponents to face in the Elementary qualifier (BD57), where Hennessy awarded them a score of 66.96. In the three-runner FEI CCI2* assessed by the same judge, Fitzpatrick scored 65.68 on Kelly to beat Molly Egan on her two rides, Divine Fernando (65.45) and Houndswood Moonbay (63.86).

Evie Kennedy recorded an uncontested Medium double on Hilary Cavanagh’s Spanish-bred Cordobes XXXVI, scoring her higher mark (67.43) with the 21-year-old Jardon grey in the Childeric league class, the Slattery-judged DB75. Sue Smallman won the FEI Prix St George unopposed on her Dutch Warmblood gelding Gloriant H (66.91).

The best supported class in the Trailblazers’ division was the Slattery-judged Junior qualifier, where Lara Rose O’Regan saw off four rivals when achieving a score of 70 on board her mother Deirdre’s 17-year-old dun mare My Barbie.

Gransha cancelled

Heeding local weather warnings, the Northern Region of DI took the decision the previous day to call off their Sunday fixture at Gransha.

They are due to stage a show next Saturday at Danescroft, while there are three scheduled for the following day at Duffy’s Equestrian (Midland and Western), Roscrea EC (North Munster) and CoilÓg (Leinster).

There is only one show tomorrow at Marlton Stud (Eastern Region), following tonight’s inaugural Dressage Ireland black tie charity ball in the Knightsbrook Hotel, Trim.