THE Botanica International ‘Dressage in the City’ show, which took place over the Bank Holiday weekend at the National Horse Sport Arena, was deemed a success by its organisers and also by the riders who converged on the Blanchardstown venue from all over the country.

The event was certainly a baptism of fire for chief organiser Petra Larkin who not only had to deal with the logistics of running a three-day show such as organising arena-building, judges, dressage sheets and volunteers, but all within the high standard of Covid-19 protocols expected at a State-funded facility.

“When the National Championships were cancelled and there was little else on the calendar, we came up with the idea of running this show and, now that we have done it once, it will be on the calendar in the years ahead,” said a much-relieved Larkin when contacted on Tuesday at her Trim, Co Meath yard.

“It was an absolutely fabulous weekend. We had great weather while the National Horse Sport Arena was a fantastic venue – it was so tranquil there although close to the city. We had some lovely music, happy riders and happy horses. We had good entries at the lower levels on Sunday and Monday and, while we could have done with more at Small and Big Tour level, that will improve with time.

“Saturday was dedicated to younger riders who really enjoyed having the opportunity to compete in such a facility,” continued Larkin. “There could have been more competitors here too but it was good to see such a high standard of pony, riding and turn-out; again, the numbers should increase with time.”

The event was run like the Championships, with competitors, in the vast majority of cases, riding two tests.

With just one participant, Sarah Mellor, competing at the higher level, it was decided to combine the Big and Small Tours. Happily, the 2010 National Champion posted a combined score of 64.72% which saw her claim the Botanica International title with Let’s Dance. Mellor had an uncontested success in Sunday’s Intermediaire II (66.18) and, on 63.26, saw off her sole rival, Rachel Dowley on Cadens (62.83), to win Monday’s Grand Prix.

Second place in the Tour championship went to Finn O’Gara who completed the two days at Small Tour level on a score of 63.68% with the 16-year-old grey Urco who is owned by fellow Co Wicklow resident, Karen Bennett. In third, on 63.60, came Louise Doheny of the Slieve Bloom Stud riding Angel D, the 15-year-old Dutch Warmblood on whom she won Sunday’s Prix St George (65.29) ahead of O’Gara and Urco (64.26).

O’Gara (63.09%) and Doheny (61.91) also contested Monday’s Intermediaire I where they swopped places but behind the winning duo of Sive Kearney and Rob Roy (65.74) who had missed the Prix St George because of transport problems.

Sixteen-year-old Kearney had completed the four-week selection process for the European Junior championships with the 15-year-old Hanoverian gelding but the combination was withdrawn by the rider’s mother, Ciara Egan, as they would have had to travel to Hungary on their own.

Courtney Stuart, who is based at the family’s Gransha Equestrian Centre near Bangor in Co Down, had a very rewarding journey south. She won the competitive Preliminary and Novice Championships with her Hanoverian stallion Favorino, a five-year-old by Follow Me, and the Advanced title most comprehensively on her eight-year-old Oldenburg stallion HH Empire, a son of Bretton Woods.

Rachel Dowley returned to Co Tipperary with one title to her credit having claimed the Elementary Championship with the Dutch Warmblood mare Just A Ball BS, a six-year-old Furstenball bay who was having only her second start at this level.

Up from Co Limerick, Tara Oliver claimed the Medium title with the ever-consistent Senators Rhonaldo, the six-year-old Rhondeo gelding she purchased in Britain as a yearling, while the Advanced Medium honours went to the Kevin Acres-partnered Ganesh, another who was competing at a higher level for just the second time.

Saturday’s action, sponsored by Kildare photographers Equestrian Antics, was mainly dedicated to Trailblazers and Sportsman classes although there was a confined pony class where the two competitors forward from four entries rode the FEI team and individual tests.

In the former, there was a tie between the pair but, as she won the individual test, Gain Irish pony dressage team member Rachael Carr claimed championship honours on the Welsh mare Calelvador May Blossom (68.22), a 14-year-old palomino is by Cirrus. Isabella Murray finished reserve with German Highlight (67.95).

The best-supported class on Saturday was Under 12s’ Preliminary section where the championship was won by Aoife Nee riding the Connemara gelding, Southeast Starlight. As she recorded the day’s highest score of 76.5%, the Midlands and Western Region member won a private shoot sponsored by Equestrian Antics. Maya Byrne Moran finished reserve with Faraway Tale (74.2) on whom she competed in most Irish Pony Club activities last year as a member of the Carlow Branch.

This was a second title on the day for Southeast Starlight as the 13-year-old Carraig Galen Miller grey, who was bred in Co Kilkenny by Raymond Dowling out of Black Raven Queen (by Village Boy), had been partnered by Cadhla Curran to see off their sole rivals, Kit Cosgrave with Rathbawn Zephyr, in the Mini Trailblazers’ division.

The winner of the Junior Trailblazers’ Preliminary championship was Aine Hayes with the Connemara gelding Bohey Albert, a 19-year-old grey by Thunder Bay, while the Junior Trailblazers Novice title went to Robyn O’Donnell who comfortably won the day’s two classes with the 148 Grade A jumper Flintstone B, a 16-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding by Master Imp.