THE Leinster Region of Dressage Ireland held its first show of 2024, and the first leg of its spring/summer league, last Sunday at CoilÓg, where five judges – Jane Averill (List 6), June Loughran (List 5), Connie Noone (List 4), Jane Whitaker (List 2) and Mark Ruddock (British Dressage List 1) – were engaged to deal with the large entry.

In light of Dressage Ireland staging a standalone Youth National Championships this year (at CoilÓg on August 24th and 25th), the organisers of Sunday’s show offered Junior (non-Trailblazer) riders under 21, the opportunity to compete among themselves in six classes at the Co Kildare venue. No one entered the Elementary BD53, while Maeve Deverell was the sole starter in the DI52, where Connie Noone awarded her a score of 67.50% for her test on Louise Doheny’s Belgian Warmblood mare Qarma Van Blommerschot, a 148cm brown daughter of Nia Domos Bolero.

Noone assessed the six-runner Novice DI27A, where her overall leaderboard was topped by Jamie Maughan and his father Fergus’ Valley View Sammy (65.69%). Coached by James O’Reilly, Maughan and the 17-year-old bay gelding, who has no recorded breeding, saw off eight rivals to top the marks in the DI21, where June Loughran had them on 77.07.

Third there with Kim Walsh’s Malakai (72.41%) behind Maughan on Valley View Sammy and Georgia Cadogan with Stars Of Jupiter (75.52), Zara Walsh had earlier received June Loughran’s top marks of 72.69 in the Preliminary DI8 on the Section D Welsh Cob, a six-year-old palomino by Cynheidrefawr Enchanted Emperor.

There were six starters in that Junior class and also in the Jane Averill-judged BD19, where the highest score was recorded by Michaela Dunne and the Irish Sport Horse mare Bit Of Mischief (70.63%), an eight-year-old bay by Contendro I. Event rider Tadhg O’Haire slotted into second and third here with Expat’s Fireworks (69.17) and Ballinagore Hero (68.54).

FEI Grand Prix

Another young rider, who had a good day was Sophie Doheny, who partnered her mother Louise’s Westphalian gelding Enrico (67.93%), a 19-year-old son of Ehrentusch, to victory in the FEI Grand Prix, which was judged by Dressage Ireland chairman, Mark Ruddock. The only other starter was Sorrell Klatzko, who scored 64.67 with her 12-year-old British Warmblood gelding, Rock My Heart EA.

Marguerite Kavanagh won the match for honours in the FEI Intermediate I at Knockagh View on Saturday with her Dutch Warmblood gelding Danciano SR and, on Sunday at CoilÓg, saw off two rivals to win the Jane Whitaker-judged FEI Prix St George on her home-bred ISH gelding Fursten (63.38), a 12-year-old Furstenball bay.

There were FEI classes also for ponies and children on horses on Sunday and classes for three Grades of para riders.

The annual general meeting of the Leinster Region is taking place on Tuesday next, February 20th, in the Half Way House, Ashtown.