CARNE’s Kelsea Morris recorded a narrow victory in the RC80 Open, one of four non-championship classes staged by the Association of Irish Riding Clubs at Killossery Lodge Stud last Sunday.
Lying second after dressage on her seven-year-old piebald gelding Cillian Dad, Morris picked up an additional four penalties in the show jumping ring (where all but one of the eight starters in this phase erred), but was clear across the country to win on a total of 38.1.
Castle Hill’s Sarah Cassidy was the flatwork winner on her veteran lightweight cob Woodland Badger (32.2) but, in addition to a pole down show jumping, she and the 24-year-old bay incurred two time penalties. They were clear across the country, but had to settle for second on 38.2.
Frustratingly for Suzanne Deeney, her early morning trip down from Co Donegal concluded following the dressage phase, as the Letterkenny member, who was lying third at that stage with her thoroughbred gelding Dubai Flyer (37.5), found her sprained ankle wasn’t up to the challenge of jumping and so she had to withdraw.
Sisters Aoife and Sinead Healion are enjoying great success as breeders this year across a range of disciplines and here their cousin Evelyn Healion made her mark as a member of Kilrainy in the RC90 Open where, recording the only clear round over the fixed fences, she won on her dressage score with Agreement (24.8 penalties).
This seven-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding isn’t a product of the Co Offaly family’s nursery, but was bred in Co Wicklow by David Miley. The Keamore Diamond Clover bay is out of the Cavalier Royale mare Emily Royale, who was out of a non-winning thoroughbred mare by Cut Above.
RC 90 Open winner Evelyn Healion riding Agreement for Kilrainy at the AIRC eventing championships 2024 \ Justin Black Horse Sport Images
There were just two runners in the young horse class, which was won, on her dressage score, by Moyglare’s Lisa Doran with her traditionally-bred ISH mare Cassanovas Diamond, a five-year-old by Cappa Cassanova, while the 70cm combined training class went the way of Rathangan’s Caroline Graham on her 11-year-old piebald gelding, Pollardstown James, a son of Ballysax Shakespeare.