THE second of this season’s Irish Pony Club/Connolly’s Red Mills one-day events was held last Sunday at Killossery Lodge Stud where it attracted an entry of over 220 combinations.

The nine-runner Open class got the dressage action under way at 8.30am and following this phase, Jill McGettigan of the East Donegal Branch led on a penalty score of 33 with Watermill Hollie. Abby Coakley was the only other rider to break the 40-penalty barrier when achieving a score of 39.5 on Shannondale George.

While the Ward Union member remained on that mark to claim victory with the 10-year-old Shannondale Sarco St Ghyvan gelding, McGettigan’s seven-year-old Watermill Swatch mare had a fence down show jumping and picked up six cross-country time penalties for a second-placed completion score of 43.

Coakley, who is studying nursing at Trinity College, and Shannondale George were paying their third official visit of the year to Killossery where they had finished sixth in an EI100 Amateur class in May and fourth on their one-star debut last month. The winner was highly-regarded as a five-year-old when campaigned by Elizabeth Power but spent some time on the sidelines until returning to the Eventing Ireland scene last year for the Coonan family.

Having produced some great results with ex-racehorses, the Westmeath’s Sofie Walshe looks to have another promising convert on her hands in Herobrine on whom she recorded an all-the-way success in Section A of the Intermediates.

Third at Annaharvey earlier this month on the last of five EI100 outings, Herobrine quickly let it be known that he wasn’t cut out to be a racehorse, pulling up in two starts in point-to-points and finishing 18th of 24 in a maiden hurdle at Punchestown at the end of May last year. A British-bred son of Black Sam Bellamy, the six-year-old seems a lot happier in his new career and well done to his former connections for finding this good home for the bay.

Section B was won by the Meaths’ Iona Pollock who completed on her dressage score with the 13-year-old chesnut gelding Killinick Dazzler. This victory initiated a treble for the Branch who were also successful in Section B of the Junior class through Lucie Glynn and the Connemara gelding Bramblebough Enough, a 10-year-old by Kingstown Cavalier, and in the under 12s’ combined training won by Sophie Nolan riding Belvedere.

DOUBLE

The Kildares recorded a double which was initiated in the Junior Section C by Alex Connors. He was on board the 14-year-old grey gelding Knockbordan Revelation who, this time last year, when partnered by Alex’s sister Zara, won the CIC1* for ponies at Kilguilkey International. The brace was completed in the Under 12s’ non-qualifying class by Bonnie O’Neill riding BB Lollipop.

Successful at the Carlows’ event outside Bunclody earlier in the month, Wicklow’s Jessica Murphy also fared best in Section A of the Juniors with the 18-year-old Grange Bouncer gelding Ashwood Bouncer.

Edel Whyte of Longford won the Novice Intermediate class on the Connemara mare Catherine, a six-year-old by the Whyte family’s own stallion Manninard Abel.

There were 36 starters in the Under 12s’ qualifier where Ava Dowley recorded an all-the-way success with Magical Island. This Island Branch combination were also on the mark at Bunclody.

QUALIFIERS

There are two IPC/Connolly’s Red Mills eventing qualifiers tomorrow, at Ballindenisk and Tattersalls, and a further two on Sunday next, July 8th, at Stradbally and Crecora. In Northern Ireland, the Area 17 competitions in dressage and show jumping take place on Saturday next, July 7th, and the following Monday, July 9th, at Ballyvannon and Kircubbin respectively.