FIVE members of the Northern Region of Eventing Ireland held off the southern raiders in the lower-level Graded classes at a sun-baked if slightly breezy Tyrella 2 last Saturday.

Gilford’s Steven Smith rode two horses in Section A, winning with the Irish Sport Horse gelding You Neek (27.5 penalties) and finishing fourth on Annaghmore Cornoko (29.5).

Both horses completed on the flat work scores they were awarded by Jacky Reid as did the second-placed combination of Amanda Goldsbury on the EI newcomer Impressively Cooley (28.8). Sarah Ennis was two seconds over the time across the country with Nycarlos H (also completed on 28.8).

Another making his EI debut here, You Neek, who won the five-year-old young event horse championship at the RDS last August, was bred in Co Louth by John Kearney out of the Camiro de Haar Z mare Veronicas Camario. He will continue competing at this level but will be aimed at the DAFM Studbook Series for six-year-olds when those dates are announced.

Also bred in Co Louth but now owned by Casey Webb and having her second affiliated start, the ISH mare Desdemona completed on her first phase score (22.8 penalties) to win Section B in the hands of David O’Connor.

This Cormint bay was bred by Tara and Siobhan Dunne, sister and mother of Jumpinaction’s lead photographer Laurence Dunne, and is the first foal out of the Grade A mare Titania B (by Ramiro B). Tara is currently jumping the dam’s five-year-old Tangelo Van De Zuuthoeve gelding Theodore Be.

Stable-companion

Genny Belton’s dressage winner, the Sam Forbes-partnered DCS Millhouse Platinum had to settle for second on 24 when picking up four penalties over the Aaron McCusker-built show jumping track.

Steven Smith, who rode Desdemona on her debut at Loughanmore last August, was also penalised in that phase as Watermolen Cooley rolled a pole to place third on 25, just ahead of his stable-companion Sinetta who did complete on her flat work mark (26.3).

In the EI90, 16 combinations appeared before graduate judge Tina O’Connor whose winners on 24.3 penalties, Lucca Stubington and the six-year-old ISH mare Magic Clementine, remained on that score throughout.

Holly Rice finished second on the nine-year-old thoroughbred mare Supreme Dream (28.7), who was a second over the time across the country, while Victoria Clarke slotted into third on her dressage score with the five-year-old newcomer Greenhall Overtake (30.8).

Magic Clementine, who finished sixth of 21 on her debut at Tyrella 1 when cross-country time penalties cost her victory, was a second winner on the day for the Dutch Warmblood stallion Tolan R. Bred in Co Down by her owner Sheelagh Kennedy, the bay is out of the Harron Eakin Farms-bred Lion d’Or mare Magic Isadora.

Claiming the honours

To balance out the tests between arenas, the EI80 was once again divided with Kathryn Henderson claiming the honours in Section A on her joint-winning dressage score (28.8 penalties) with Mocking Bird, her 15-year-old grey mare by the Connemara stallion Builders Delight.

Another 2010 grey mare, My Isabella, came second on her flat work mark (34.5) under Robyn Rice.

Hollywood’s Karina McVeigh followed up her win at Tyrella 1 by leading from start to finish in Section B on board her eight-year-old dun mare Cococabana (26 penalties). Mentioned above, Victoria Clarke also completed on her first phase score (28) to place second on the five-year-old traditionally-bred ISH gelding Rock Expression, a Pointilliste bay who was making his EI debut.

Thanks to the army of officials and volunteers on duty, and with the co-operation of riders, the event was run-off so smoothly that the final combination out on the course in the EI80 (T), Alice Doherty-Gorman and her thoroughbred gelding Battle Manoueuvre who carried a rare Horse First-sponsored 312 bib number, came through the finish at roughly 6.30pm, a full half-hour earlier than anticipated.