THE home-based Jason Doerflinger won two classes from his four rides at last Sunday’s final round of the Eventing Ireland Western Region combined training league at the Milchem Equestrian Centre, securing two series titles in the process.

There was just the one EI80 class on Sunday and here Doerflinger came out on top with Tim MacDonagh’s Irish Sport Horse mare Hollypark Tyson, who completed on her Marian Slattery-awarded dressage score of 27.75 penalties. Also jumping clear to finish second was Caroline Lynch on the Irish Draught mare Hio Easter Rose (28.5).

Milchem-based Scottish international event rider Becky Scott placed third and fourth with two four-year-old ISH mares by Vivant van de Heffinck, Lissavorra Style (30) and RDM Ring Of The Night (31.75), who both left all the fences intact, as did four others in the 17-strong field.

The league result was more or less the same, Doerflinger and Hollypark Tyson, a five-year-old home-bred daughter of Tyson, claiming the honours ahead of Lynch and Hio Easter Rose, a similarly-aged Moylough Legacy grey the Co Meath rider owns in partnership with Robert McHugh. Scott finished third with Lissavorra Style.

Only three of the 10 starters in Sunday’s EI90 recorded clear rounds. These were the Doerflinger-ridden pair of HSF Milchem (27.25 penalties) and Milchem Gemstone (29.25), who finished first and second, and the Leisure Horse Ireland-registered gelding Clover’s Beirín Beag Rua (32).

The last-named, who was partnered by another Milchem-based rider in Scotland’s Duncan McFadyen, is a five-year-old bay gelding by Soolmoy Clover Man out of a Lux Z mare. He is being produced by Scott and McFadyen as an all-rounder/riding club horse for owner Bernadette Flaherty.

HSF Milchem and Milchem Gemstone, who topped the league in the same order, are both registered Irish Sport Horses owned by Ralph Conroy, proprietor of the Milchem Equestrian Centre and chairman of the Western Region of Eventing Ireland.

The dual winner, a five-year-old mare by Canturo Lui, was bred in Co Galway by Owen Horan out of HSF Coco Royale (by Cardento). Milchem Gemstone, a five-year-old Ganesh Hero Z gelding, is out of the KMS Chicago mare Milchem Saphire. He was home-bred by Conroy, who owns the grey in partnership with East Galway huntsman, Eoghan McCabe.

Kathrina O’Shea placed third in the league with the ISH mare Ringwood Pomello, a Hype nine-year-old who finished fourth on Sunday when she had a fence down show jumping (34).

Commenting on his two league winners and Milchem Gemstone, Doerflinger said: “The plan at the moment is to give them a short break for a week and then do the Western Region Starter Series. Hopefully, if all goes to plan, that will lead on to the Dublin qualifiers, but that’s if we are able to hold on to them for that long!”

Despite having a fence down show jumping for a total of 34 penalties, McFadyen had little trouble in landing Sunday’s EI110 class and the corresponding league with Niall and Ronan Daly’s ISH mare Rutland Flamenco. The six-year-old bay by Casallco, who may be aimed at Le Lion d’Angers if not sold, was bred in Co Down by Eugene McEntee out of the Je t’Aime Flamenco mare Red Flamenco.

Winner of EI100 League Priya Cosgrave with Marie Ward at the final of the Eventing Ireland Western Region combined training at Milchem Equestrian \ Aisling Deverell

McDonagh on form

Another rider competing for Conroy, Oisin McDonagh, finished first and second in Sunday’s EI100 class.

He claimed the top spot on the clean jumping eight-year-old mare Milchem My Lady (24 penalties), with whom he recorded six EI100 (P) wins in 2024, while filling the runner-up slot on the ISH mare Milchem Illusion (31.25), a seven-year-old chesnut daughter of Milchem Classic Edition, who had a fence down. Finishing third on the same score was Caroline Devine with the traditionally-bred ISH gelding Captain Devine, a seven-year-old bay by Clonaslee Captain Cristo out of the unraced Hillside Ruby (by Royal Anthem).

This latter combination placed second in the league to Priya Cosgrave with the 128cm show jumping pony Paulank Redbreast, a 14-year-old gelding by Rotherwood Aritotle, who was bred by Paula and Frank Cullen out of Paulank Jacara (by Cadanvalley). Having been campaigned with ShowJumping Ireland by Cosgrave since 2021, the chesnut is now moving on to a new home.

Third in the league was Regina Daniels riding the ISH mare Cappog Gemini, a seven-year-old chesnut daughter of Vittorio out of a Touchdown mare.

Oisin McDonagh and Milchem My Lady winner of EI 100 at the final of the Eventing Ireland Western Region combined training at Milchem Equestrian \ Aisling Deverell

The series ended on a lovely, sunny day when some new combinations made an appearance, including East Galway Pony Club member Eleri O’Connor with Fiona Donahue’s 21-year-old Connemara gelding Duntally Storm. It was good to see some nice young horses being educated through the league, while those manning the coffee van, Tús Nua Coffee Dock, got a new insight into the world of horses.

Action resumes in the Western Region tomorrow week, Sunday, March 16th, when the first qualifying round of this year’s Berts Properties Starter Series will be staged at Galway Equestrian. The series then moves on to Milchem on Sunday, March 23 and to Tubberbride on Sunday, March 30.

There will be two qualifiers in April – at Clare Equestrian on Sunday the 6th and, seven days later, at Claremorris Equestrian. It’s then back to Milchem for the final on Easter Monday, April 21. Full details can be found on the Western Region’s Facebook page.