THERE was a strong field of 27 combinations in the EI115 (Open) at Tyrella 1 last Saturday, nine of whom were awarded sub-30 penalty dressage scores by Vanda Stewart.

Topping her leaderboard were Kilkenny-based British International rider John Tilley and the Dutch Warmblood gelding Licence To Cooley who, despite the addition of 2.8 cross-country time penalties, ran out the comfortable winners on 23.3.

Ian Cassells filled the next three places with the Irish Sport Horse geldings Master Point (27.5), on whom he wore the No 1 bib and completed on his first-phase score, Kellys Quality (28.8), who lowered one of the coloured poles and picked up a small number of time penalties on both jumping phases, and Millridge Atlantis, whose total of 29.6 included 3.2 cross-country time penalties.

Owned by Tilley, who is not long back from injury, and Andrew Williams of Kilkenny International Sporthorses, Licence To Cooley has numerous wins at this level to his credit. Tilley and the Balou du Rouet Z 11-year-old rounded off their 2024 campaign with a fourth-place finish, out of 23, behind Cassells and Millridge Atlantis in the CCI4*-S at Ballindenisk in late September. The previous month, the pair had finished reserve in the EI120 national championship at Kilguilkey House.

Their win probably assuaged the pain of the early start and Tilley and Williams have made entries for Tyrella 3 on Saturday, April 12th. Cassells has his three placed horses from Saturday’s class entered in the CCI4*-S at the Thoresby Park international eventing spring carnival this weekend, where among many other Irish combinations are Lucy Latta and RCA Patron Saint.

Sam Watson brought four horses with him on a rare visit to Tyrella, where he won the three-runner EI115 on his wife Sparkles’s German thoroughbred Nominator, whose total of 33 included 1.6 cross-country time penalties. The eight-year-old grey is by the now Burgage Stud-based Jukebox Jury, sire of the recent Cheltenham Festival bumper winner, Bambino Fever.

Sam Watson and Nominator winning the EI115 class at Tyrella1 \ Anne Hughes

The perennial Northern Region champion rider Steven Smith competed three horses in the 24-runner EI110 (Open) where, on his Rosie Gomes-awarded dressage scores, he finished first and second on the ISH geldings Tullaher Paudie (19.3 penalties) and CJO Kann Surprise (26.3) and fourth with the ISH mare Fleur De Lis (27.5). Susan O’Shea’s eight-year-old winner is by Shannondale Sarco St Ghyvan.

Only one rider, Erin McClernon, who is now competing in senior company with her ISH gelding Seapatrick Beachball, completed on her John Lyttle-awarded dressage score (35.3 penalties) in the 29-strong EI110. However, this was only good enough for second as, in spite of a pole down show jumping, and 1.2 cross-country time penalties, Alex Houston held on to win with her home-bred ISH mare My Atlantic Encore (33), an eight-year-old bay by Centre Stage.

Nichola Wray, who arrived at Tyrella with one of her amazing cakes, narrowly won the three-runner EI110 (Amateur) on her national champion at this level, the nine-year-old Lislap Benedict gelding Dylan aka Springhill Showman (45 penalties).