ELLIE Rogan and Tullaree Fear Buí denied Emily Marnane and Danny’s Pride the opportunity of recording a mixed double last Saturday at Scarteen, where the flat section of this second RDS Connemara qualifier was judged by Simon Beirne and Sharon Fitton.

There were 32 entries for both six-year-old and upward classes with Rogan and Marnane contesting that for younger riders where, in first and second respectively, they qualified for Dublin, as did the next three combinations in the final line-up.

Owned by Rogan’s mother Cathy Cooper and Nicola Main, Tullaree Fear Buí, who finished third in the final at the RDS last August, is an 11-year-old gelding by Templebready Fear Buí.

Also well-known and successful in performance classes, he was bred in Co Kerry by Clive Swindell out of the Dunlewey Rigmarole mare Tullaree Silver.

Kiara Dempsey, who also started in one of the performance hunter classes on Saturday, recorded a much better result on the level, as she won the six-year-old and upwards class for riders aged 17 and over on her mother Geraldine’s home-bred mare Lisnadrisha Nikiao. This 12-year-old grey, who was sixth at Dublin last August, is by Silver Shadow out of Scribble (by Westside Fred).

There were 33 entries for the four and five-year-old class, where chosen as their winner by Beirne and Fitton was the Michelle Geraghty-ridden Rathkeery Melvin. Owned by Kieran Egan, this five-year-old grey gelding by Lough Melvin Gurteen, was bred in Co Roscommon by Noel Maher out of Sally O’Eirne (by Buachaill O’Eirne).

Qualification for the native breed classes continues today at Forth Mountain in Co Wexford with the final qualifier taking place on Saturday next, June 29th, at Rincoola, Co Longford.