TREO Eile, the not-for-profit organisation promoting the use of ex-racehorses and thoroughbreds in general in careers outside racing, sponsored four awards at last weekend’s Dressage Ireland national championships in Ballindenisk.

At Preliminary level, their winner was the British-bred Wicket who was partnered by Category 2 rider Shauna Fitzgibbon. This 10-year-old Dansili gelding, who only started competing under DI rules in May this year, ran unplaced 14 times on the track and twice in point-to-points between January 2018 and May 2019.

Also competing as a Category 2 rider, Louise Duffy, chairperson of the Association of Irish Riding Clubs, won the Novice award having finished fifth on the French-bred Arvika Ligeonniere. Now 19 years of age, this Arvico gelding followed up a very successful career with Willie Mullins (10 wins including four at Grade 1 level) by also competing under Eventing Ireland and AIRC rules. Stretching herself to the limit, Duffy also competed two horses at last weekend’s EI national championships at Kilguilkey House.

Selected as one of the combinations performing in the upcoming Gareth Hughes masterclass at Emerald Equestrian (October 6th), the Claire Farrell-ridden Renneti was winner of the Elementary award having finished sixth in the Category 2 championship. Another French-bred gelding previously trained by Mullins, this 15-year-old Irish Wells bay won eight races, five on the flat and three over hurdles.

Another Category 2 rider, Rosemarie Ahern O’Gorman, was presented with the Medium award following her performances on the US-bred Khwarizmi who had a brief career as an event horse when he first came out of training. The nine-year-old Algorithms bay won one race in 10 starts when trained by David Marnane.