NOT everything has gone exactly to plan this year – but much of it has for Co Wexford’s Ciara O’Connor, who won Section A of the Junior/Young Rider event horse class at Rincoola on Tuesday, with her aunt Sharon O’Connor’s home-bred Irish Sport Horse mare Ashwood Iron Lady (288 points).

As the Iron Man Van de Padenborre seven-year-old had already booked her spot at next month’s Dublin Horse Show, the first qualifying ticket was awarded to the class runner-up, the seven-year-old ISH gelding Brillo (286.5), who was ridden by Anna Hudson for the bay’s Co Wicklow owner/breeder, Carla Carlstrom.

Co Meath’s Abby Coakley finished third to snag the second golden ticket on her father Denis’ Toome Carrick Jimmy (285), a traditionally-bred 2017 ISH gelding by Carrick Diamond Lad, on whom Abby competes at EI110 level with Eventing Ireland.

Another Financial Reward gelding, BSH Diamond Reward (285 points), qualified for the RDS final when winning Section B under Bryan Bourke. This five-year-old bay was bred in Co Galway by Tom Newell out of the Colin Diamond mare Kilcahill Naomi.

The final ticket awarded in this division for 2024 went to the Caitie Slater-partnered Belline Imperial Diamond (284), a combination which also qualified for Dublin last summer. As his name would suggest, this six-year-old is owned by Richard Ames and was bred by Amelia Cumiskey, who stands the bay’s sire Imperial Hights.

There was disappointment for rider Lucy McCarthy, as she also completed on 284 points with Coolcorran Magic Man, but lost out on the golden ticket, as Slater had posted the higher ridden phase score.