Rachel Dowley

IRELAND’s Roland Tong made his mount Ambience’s debut at international Grand Prix level a successful one last week at Hartpury CDI*** in Gloucestershire. He and Sandra Kirkpatrick’s 10-year-old Dutch-bred gelding, finished eighth in the Grand Prix on 68.660%. The combination then progressed to Sunday’s Grand Prix Special, where they improved their mark to 70.765%, which was good enough for fifth place.

Both classes were won by reigning World, Olympic and European Champions Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro.

Ambience looks to be a rising star for Irish dressage, and could fill the shoes left empty by Tong’s former team horse Pompidou, who contested the Premier League at this show under his owner Sarah Wrigley.

Ireland fielded a total of four combinations at small tour level and of these, Lucy Adams faired the best. Edging ahead of her compatriot Courtney Stuart in the first day’s Prix St George, she went on to qualify for the Freestyle by finishing 14th in the Inter I division. With Get Set, whose sire Pro Set contested the Premier League Grand Prix at Hartpury, she scored 62.650% in the freestyle.

CPEDI

Helen Kearney and Rosemary Gaffney led the Irish charge in the CPEDI in Hartpury, which saw their team finish in third place behind Britain and Canada.In the Grade Ia section, former Paralympic medallist Kearney and her new international campaigner Rock And Roll finished fourth in all three tests, climbing from 70.696% in the team test to 71.350% in the music.

Classes at this level were dominated by the British Paralympian Sophie Christiansen on board Athene Lindebjerg.

Reclassified as a Grade III rider after a horrific fall, Gaffney and her veteran partner Aldham Mill Dubloon, finished fifth in the team test and fourth in the individual equivalent. She then produced an excellent freestyle performance to rise to second place on 74.2%, just over a mark behind the winners Nicky Greenhill and Gregorian Chant.

Speaking afterwards, Dara Kearney, chef d’equipe of the Irish para squad at last year’s World Equestrian Games, said she was delighted with the riders’ efforts at Hartpury.

Kate Kerr Horan and Tamsin Addison completed the Irish team at Hartpury, with the former earning two 10th places on her WEG ride Arlande. The British-based Addison finished fourth in the Grade IV team test, dropping back to fifth in the individual equivalent but then rising to fifth in the Freestyle on 68.200%.

Anne Marie Dunphy claimed a trio of placings at this show with her rides Urbanus and Her Highness Willow. In Wednesday’s Inter II, Urbanus earned a score of 66.886% to finish sixth, less than 2% behind eventual winners Gareth Hughes and Samba Hit III. This combination went on to earn 61.960% in the Premier League Grand Prix the following day. Charlotte Dujardin topped the score board in this class, riding her newest Grand Prix horse Barolo.

Premier League classes resumed on Sunday, when Urbanus earned another sixth at Inter I. His stablemate, Jo Breheny’s Her Highness Willow, added to Dunphy’s tally with another sixth on 66.350%, this time at medium level.