KILDARE’s Belinda Brereton was one of two riders who won three championships apiece over the two days of this year’s Dressage Ireland Winter Finals which concluded last Sunday at the Fell Family’s famed Ballindenisk venue in Watergrasshill, Co Cork.
On Good Friday at Greenogue Equestrian, Brereton claimed the M&S Simply Dressage Prix St George title on Galaxy Moone and the Intermediaire II crown with Captain Negro C. And, it was on board the latter, that she won Sunday’s SVS Equine Grand Prix, comfortably topping the individual scores of judges Donie McNamara and Mark Ruddock for a combined 66.58%.
Brereton and her 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding by Negro are on Horse Sport Ireland’s high-performance development squad as are Rachel Dowley and Cadens, who filled the reserve slot on Sunday on 64.08, and Josephine Delahoyde and Let’s Go 100 who were third in the Grand Prix on 63.86.
Training pays off
Also on the development squad, and benefitting greatly from the online coaching of HSI’s dressage high-performance director, Johann Hinnemann, is Dressage Ireland chair Marguerite Kavanagh. On a combined two-test score of 64.85%, she and her Irish Sport Horse gelding Fursten narrowly won Sunday’s Advanced championship ahead of Sue Smallman riding Gloriana H (64.46).
“Fursten is nine-year-old home-bred by Furstenball,” revealed Kavanagh. “I competed his dam, My Pretty Woman (a Hanoverian by Carismo), at Advanced level. Even though he shows talent for the higher movements, I have had to produce him slowly as he lacks confidence. He was second in the Advanced Medium championship at Greenogue on Good Friday and this win, which I’m delighted with, suggests he is turning the corner. He has lots more to give but I have to be patient.”
In her role as DI chair, Kavanagh commented: “Running the Winter Finals was a challenge this year but, thanks to the commitment and dedication of the Board of DI, it was made possible. Running on two separate days and taking the Finals to two different locations worked well. Feedback has been very positive.”
Great support
Kavanagh continued: “The support we received from volunteers and our Irish judges was key to the success of the Finals while riders were understanding and complied with all the Covid restrictions. In a way, dressage fits in with Covid guidelines. Riders are given times to compete while online scoring minimises the amount of time people are present at a venue, ensuring the safety of all concerned.
“The support and sponsorship received from Dressage Ireland regional committees for the Finals was also very important. The assistance of the Leinster Region for the first leg at Greenogue and that of South Munster for the second leg at Ballindenisk was imperative to running the events.
“The Fell family’s Ballindenisk is very suited to dressage with its spacious arena, incorporating two competition arenas and a large warm-up area, while the excellent surface was lovely to ride on. Due to Covid restrictions, the use of the venue’s indoor amenities was not possible but, thankfully, the weather gods were in our favour and the sun shone.”
There were uncontested championship successes for the two Para riders in action. Jess McKenna claimed the Grade 3 title with her ISH gelding Rockmills, an 11-year-old son of Vancouver, while Sarah Slattery’s victory at Grade 5 level came on the Oldenburg gelding San Marino MR, a 13-year-old bay by San Amour.