THERE was a link between the two main equestrian events of last weekend, the Tattersalls international horse trials and the Mullingar International Horse Show.

Marti Rudd and her husband Tomas Doyle bought and sold The Soapdodger, winner of the Cooley Farm CCI* for six and seven-year-old horses, and called in to Tattersalls to see the Camiro De Haar Z gelding tackle the cross-country course on Friday before heading on to Mullingar where they had horses jumping.

Marti explained how they purchased the grey.

“We bought him with money I received when my brother Steven and I sold a house in Spain which was left to us by our late father, Ken. I called the horse Casa Nine after the house and Tomas and I jumped and evented him until selling him to Carol Gee at the 2013 August show in Millstreet.

“Although the horse meant so much to me, we had to sell as that’s the business we’re in. It was great to see him back in Ireland last weekend and we were delighted when he won for Catherine Witt and William Fox-Pitt.

“Seeing him go cross-country was a real bonus and then, when we were at Mullingar, we were able to watch him show jump thanks to the live streaming.”

Unlike the rest of us who had to endure a storm-lashed Monday, Marti and Tomas flew off to enjoy a few days’ sunshine in Italy where they learned that Monbeg After Dark, who they sold at Monart last November, had won his first BE 100 class at Borde Hill last weekend.