Rachel Dowley
“WITHOUT having experienced the traditional ‘proudest day of my life moments’ like getting married or having a baby, I can hands down say these championships have been mine,” was Courtney Stuart’s delighted reaction to becoming Dressage Ireland’s National Winter Champion at Cavan Equestrian Centre last weekend.
In the absence of a big tour championship, the title was to be awarded at small tour, and Stuart established an unassailable lead at this level in Saturday’s Prix St Georges. Riding the 13-year-old gelding Fanfarron 8, she earned an average of 68.947% from judges Phyllis Beattie and James Rooney.
Stuart’s early draw in Sunday morning’s Inter I proved no hindrance to further success, as her score of 66.974% remained unchallenged by the later competitors. Lucy Adams on board her own Get-Set came closest to her, with their mark of 65.592% leaving them Reserve Champions.
“Overwhelmed is the only word I can use to describe the feeling,” said the Gransha-based rider after her win. “Flynn warmed up and rode like a dream on both competition days, filling me with confidence, and our success far exceeded my expectations. Of course, none of this would have been possible without the amazing support team I have around me, including my mum, my sister Kirsty and my trainer Anne Marie Dunphy, who I genuinely couldn’t have got to this point without.”
Dressage Ireland’s chairman David Keane was equally pleased with how the show ran, praising the “great atmosphere” which was helped by the enthusiastic support of the regions and by the efficiency of Jane Whitaker’s organising team. He also spoke in praise of the increasing strength and depth among the organisation’s young riders, which was reflected in the results throughout the weekend.
Fourteen-year-old Tara Hayes’ record reads like that of a professional rider twice her age. Along with wins at Hickstead and last summer’s BYRDS Home International, she holds too many national championships to list, and she added three more to this tally last weekend. She began by defending her under-25 title on Saturday, earning 71.484% to take a clear victory by almost 2%. She continued her clean sweep by topping the scoreboard in the elementary category 2 championship and she then edged of ahead of Saturday’s leader Laura Dennehy to claim the FEI Pony Championship in only her first year at this level.
RELATIONSHIP
Speaking of her relationship with her pony Bantiss Holy Joe, Hayes said: “The step up to medium was a bit frightening, but Jojo is becoming more established in the movements and he knows we have a job to do when we enter the arena.”
Hayes is one of many riders to have benefitted from her involvement in Horse Sport Ireland’s pony dressage squad, and the success of this program was very much in evidence across the levels last weekend.
A veteran of two Pony European Championships Alana Cazabon Sullivan finished second to Hayes at elementary before taking the novice category 2 championship and the award for best performance by a Connemara on Carn Verdon Boy.
The future looks bright for this Sligo-based rider as, in only her first year in junior ranks, she rode Dark Site into second place in the advanced medium championship. Finishing just behind Kevin Acres on his trainer Sandra Blake Farrell’s Saint Emillion, Cazabon Sullivan is now aiming for international level with this horse.
A pony rider also came to the fore in the novice category 1 championship, as Bronte Collins’ consistent performances with Reduster Martin over the weekend left her with a red rosette. Her squad mates Victoria Campbell and Bonnie O’Reilly almost accomplished a similar feat in the elementary equivalent but they were prevented from doing so by the South East Region’s chairperson Mary Cox, whose strong performance on Saturday relegated the younger riders to second and third respectively.
Promising young equine talent was also on show throughout the weekend, nowhere more so than in the preliminary category 2 championship.
Belinda Brereton’s Galaxy Moone was in a class of his own, taking the title by an enormous margin of almost 5%. The five-year-old son of Negro has already established an enviable record, having never scored less than 70% in the five shows in which he has competed.
Speaking afterwards, Brereton said: “He behaved like a complete pro all weekend, taking it all in his stride. He has a very bright future, and I’m taking him to the UK next to contest some young horse classes.”
Galaxy Moone’s stablemate Captain Negro C is also destined for some international competition, as his win in the advanced championship left Brereton as one of only three riders to bring home multiple titles. Another chesnut gelding by Negro, the nine-year-old is becoming stronger and more established in the advanced work and is beginning to reveal the extent of his potential in the arena.
Marguerite McSweeney’s home-produced Flagrenti is another to show potential for the higher levels with a win in the medium championship, while the preliminary category 1 ride-off went to Sille Van der Wijk and Kinvara Tan.