OF the four Dressage Ireland-affiliated shows scheduled for last weekend, the only one to take place was Saturday’s Northern Region fixture at Knockagh View, where the sixth leg of the Brass Stables UK and Ireland winter league was run in welcome sunshine.

British Dressage List 3 judge Julie Green, a Masterson Method Certified Practitioner based in Greyabbey, was assigned to eight classes, being faced by nine starters in the Elementary BD53. There, her overall leaderboard was headed by Dale Roberts riding the unregistered Miss Lightfeet (68.97%), a tall, eight-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare by Guardian S.

Green awarded two winning scores of over 70% at lower levels. Topping her marks in the six-strong Preliminary DI5A was Alexandra Ryan with her Connemara gelding, Ambition (72.86%), a nine-year-old son of Drumbad Fletcher Moss, while in the four-runner Novice BD38, that position was filled by Linda McIlwaine on board the Irish Sport Horse gelding, Roundthorn Oreo, a six-year-old Vittorio bay.

Those forward for both Medium classes were also judged by Green, whose winners were Barbara Hanna and her 15-year-old ISH mare by Laraghlease Western Delight, Rock Babylon (67.35% in the five starter BD73) and Amelia McFarland on the home-bred ISH mare Kingston Olive (67.19 in three-runner DI65), a nine-year-old daughter of Sir Donnerhall. Three young riders recorded uncontested victories in front of the same judge in the Trailblazer classes, viz Ellie Chambers on Dara I (78.57 Under 10s), Tommy Wakfer riding Carmens Novello (65.36 Under 12s) and Ebony Picken with Dalways Perseus (67.86 12-16).

Coreen Abernethy (List 4) awarded her highest score of the day (71.21%) to Courtney Akkari, following that Category 3 rider’s Novice DI21 test on her much-admired Hanoverian gelding Bernabeo, a five-year-old chesnut son of Benicio, who saw off eight challengers to claim the honours. The sole starter in the dedicated Junior class at this level was Sophie Bonner with Riverfield Kanna Fanta (58.62), a 10-year-old Kannan mare.

Alexandra Ryan and Ambition, pictured at Danescroft, won two preliminary classes at Knockagh View \ Ellie Johnston

Grand Ambition

At Preliminary level, Abernethy agreed with Green in having the aforementioned pairing of Alexandra Ryan and Ambition as her winners of the non-restricted BD15 on 70.2%. There were only two starters in that class and in the Junior competition, where Bonner and Riverfield Kanna Fanta scored the higher (63.6).

Ten combinations came before Abernethy in the Elementary DI51, where two combinations recorded 68.89%. These were Eve Adair and the simply-named Dot, a 14-year-old piebald mare by Pieter, and Dale Roberts on Miss Lightfoot, who had the higher collective marks (63.5 to 62).

Having competed earlier in the day, Joanne Jarden (List 1) donned her judge’s hat for the Advanced Medium classes, which were both won by Barbara Ellison with her eight-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare, Moonlight (by Glocks Toto Jr), the combination recording an uncontested 60.92% in the DB4 and 65.15 in the DI90.

Also before Jarden, there were uncontested victories for Jill Hobson with the unregistered ISH mare, Furisto Seven For A Secret (60.29), a 19-year-old bay by Cavalier Two For Joy, in the Advanced, and for Laragh O’Grady with her ISH gelding, Mullentine Emerald Wolfe Tone (64.89), a 14-year-old Jaguar Mail chesnut, in the FEI Grand Prix.