THE second leg of this year’s Eventing Ireland Western Region starter series, sponsored by Berts Properties, was held last Sunday at Milchem Equestrian, the Tynagh base of Ralph Conroy, who was confirmed as regional chairman for another term at the annual general meeting earlier this month.

Sportsfield Horses’ supremo Paul Donovan judged the three age classes, where the home-based Jason Doerflinger claimed the riding honours with a double. This he initiated in the Sligo Candy Boy four-year-old qualifier, which he won with Milchem Giovanni (56 points), while bagging a second ticket with the third-placed Milchem Monty (53.5).

The winning ISH gelding, a chesnut son of Tyson, was bred by Conroy out of Milchem Dreamer (by Silvano), dam previously of the 2017 Tyson mare Milchem Melody/Sing To Me Cooley, who is eventing in the USA with Tim Burke, and the 2018 Goodluck VDL gelding Milchem Good Luck (William Fox-Pitt).

Sandwiched between the Ralph Conroy-owned pair was Neva McNamara with her home-bred ISH mare ‘Berta’ (55.5), a bay by Mr Quincy B out of September Song, by Watermill Swatch, with whom the owner/rider won the day’s turn-out prize, sponsored by Sea Warrior Sea Supplements. Tommy Considine qualified both Royal Explosion (42.5) and Clunas (41), the latter losing four points in the jumping phase.

Doerflinger and Conroy combined to win and place second in the Derryronane Stud five-year-old class, with the previously-qualified HSF Milchem (55), an ISH mare by HSF Canturo Lui, and Milchem Gemstone (52.5), an ISH gelding by Ganesh Hero Z. The qualifying tickets thus went to Tom MacDonagh on Hollypark Amber Lady (51), Duncan McFadyen with Clovers Beirin Beag Rua (50.5) and MacDonagh again with Hollypark Gypsy Skippy (48).

Qualifying ticket

Craughwell-based MacDonagh repeated his win in the Drumhowan Stud six and seven-year-old qualifier, with his ISH gelding CSF Hollypark Rocco Blue (51 points), a Patrick Connolly-bred Zirocco Blue VDL grey on whom the owner/rider won last year’s five-year-old final.

Aoife McCabe secured the first qualifying ticket by finishing second with her 2019 ISH gelding Air Mail (47.5), a Cobra 18 grey out of a Cruising mare. Others to book their places in the final were Declan Leahy with the 2019 ISH gelding Aille Copper (45), a chesnut son of Kings Master, owned by regional assistant secretary Marie Ward; plus Donnacha Anhold with Rushfield Ballingowan (43) and MacDonagh with Hollypark Gentle Giant (40.5), both of whom lost four points in the jumping phase.