GOING into today’s final round of the Baileys Horse Feeds Flexi Eventing series at The Meadows, Zara Reid tops the leaderboard on 54 points having cemented her position at the head of affairs with another dressage win and a 1m cross-country double clear last Saturday on Greylands Diamond Girl.
On a score of 74.3%, Reid and her father Gary’s 15-year-old British-bred pony mare by Greylands Amosis were clear-cut winners of the 21-runner Intro B class, which was judged by Joanne Cairns. Equine therapist Robert Newell slotted into second with his Irish Sport Horse gelding Louis The Thirteenth (71), an 11-year-old son of Sligo Candy Boy.
Jennifer Marshall, a graduate of the Eventing Ireland Northern Region’s dressage judging training programme, assessed the 24 combinations forward in Section A. Her winner on 78% was Ballyclare 12-year-old Ana Goodrich riding her mother Gemma Esler’s Irish Sports Pony Broadleas Chase, a 10-year-old grey by Moores Clover. Here, the runner-up position was filled by Lauren Smyth and her ISH gelding Hey There Delilah (76.3), an Emperor Augustus seven-year-old.
Lucinda Webb-Graham judged the 18-strong Intro C, where her leaderboard was topped by the very consistent pairing of Christina Findlay and Parklodge Over And Under (77.5%). This was a third win in the series for Findlay and her 10-year-old British-bred gelding by Diarado, who also have a second-place finish to their credit. Claire Ireland filled that runner-up slot on Saturday with her 17-year-old palomino gelding Goin For Gold (72.8).
Gillian Beale-King riding Enzo, winners of the Novice Dressage at the flexi eventing at The Meadows on February 8th \ Tori O'Connor Photography
Pre Novice
Webb-Graham also judged the 27 starters in the Pre Novice class, where the previous weekend’s second-placed combination of Lucca Stubington and Martin and Pauline Wilson’s ISH mare Roundthorn Minerva took the win on 77.5%. This Patricia Connon-bred 2017 Eldorado van de Zeshoek bay, who has 46 Show Jumping Ireland points to her credit, was a late comer to eventing last season when, under EI rules, she was placed on all three starts.
Elaine O’Connor finished second on another ISH mare, Tullymurry Masha (75), the 2016 Carimo de Haar Z bay, who was crowned the Northern Region’s top home-bred performer last season when she also won the EI90 award.
Novice
Co Down-based US international rider Gillian Beale King won Saturday’s 30-runner Novice class, judged by Joanne Jarden, with Lawrence Patterson’s Dorus Heldenlaan Z (76.5%), a Zandersheide six-year-old who was recently approved as a WSI stallion. He was first produced under SJI rules in April 2023 by Clare Abbott and is now jumping at 1.20m level with Beale King. Dorus Heldenlaan Z is by Doree van de Moskifarm (a son of Heartbreaker) out of Clintica Heldenlaan Z (by Clinton).
Sixteen-year-old Amelia Wheeler finished second on her mother Lisa’s 2018 piebald gelding Midnight Minty (75), with whom she competes under Show Jumping Ireland and Dressage Ireland rules, as a member of the Killultagh Branch of The Pony Club and in showing classes.
Intermediate
There was a swap at the top of the Jarden-judged, six-strong Intermediate class, where the previous week’s winners, British international Laura Birley and 17-year-old grey gelding Bob Cotton Bandit, had to settle for second (73%) behind Erin McCrea and Eisfee (75.7), who had filled the runner-up slot on February 1st.
Owned by the rider’s father Clinton, Eisfee is a 2007 Hanoverian mare by Embassy, who Erin got to know last year when competing the grey as a member of the East Down Branch of The Pony Club. Prior to that, Eisfee was campaigned for a season in Britain by Felicity Collins and Olivia Petersen, while in 2021 and 2022, she was competed under EI rules by Susan Shanahan, with whom she represented Ireland at the European pony eventing championships both years.
Connor McClory once more won the Treo Eile prize for the top thoroughbred on Vina Buller’s unraced gelding Bestman Bryan, who was third in the Intro C class on 71.3 and again recorded double clears at 80cm level in show jumping and cross-country. The home-bred Laura gelding lies fourth on the overall league on 39 points.
The 2025 Baileys Horse Feeds Flexi Eventing series prizes will be presented next Saturday, February 22nd, which is a non-qualifying day at The Meadows. In addition to the overall league presentations, there will be additional prizes for the leading Pony Club member and for the leading Riding Club member, while Treo Éile will be presenting prizes for the top Thoroughbreds throughout the series.