THERE is little point reporting what individual owners and riders said last Saturday, as the Northern Region got the 2025 Eventing Ireland season under way at Tyrella.

In a nutshell, they were effusive in their thanks to the Northern Region for providing certainty in this strange year, to landowners John and Hannah Corbett, to Tyrella itself for being the wonderful venue it is and to Dora Beacom and her team. In addition to all the work undertaken in advance, some of that team were in situ from just after 5am on Saturday and didn’t leave until 8pm.

The new lay-out may take some time to bed in, but there’s no doubt it was quieter around the dressage arenas in their new field off the drive, where there is also more room for riders to work-in their horses and ponies. The show jumping rings are now much closer to the ‘enclosure’ and the cross-country course. Aaron McCusker’s show jumping tracks had their usual effect on the results, particularly in the EI110, where clear rounds were not that plentiful.

Challenge

Given that some horses and riders were having their first start on grass this year, regional cross-country course designer Adam Stevenson didn’t set too difficult a challenge.

At EI110 level and above, where there were just over 100 starters in seven classes, only three combinations failed to finish. Four combinations failed to complete in the five EI100 classes, two of those being eliminated for omitting a fence, a comment which applied to one of seven who didn’t complete in the EI80 and EI90 classes. The only real hold-up occurred when the new paramedic team, NI Sports Medics, had to attend to Abbie Cummins following her fall in the EI80A, which required a hospital visit.

The Northern Region’s next event at Tyrella, on this day week, Saturday, April 5th, filled up quickly while, at time of writing, only 11 spaces were free for Tyrella 3 on April 12th. Entries for Tyrella 4 are due to open at 9am on Monday next, March 31st.