THE Meath Branch dominated the Open/Senior Associates section at last Tuesday’s Equieire/Irish Pony Club national dressage day at CoilÓg.

In the Clare Fitzsimons-judged warm-up class, the Royal County representatives filled the top three places through Maura Moore-McCune on Blokland’s Hoeve’s Amor (70.5), Grace Hanna on Carbury (68.5) and Clodagh McGauran riding the 15-year-old Caricello gelding Cruising Caricello who she also competes under Eventing Ireland.

The Meath trio finished in the same order in the competition class judged by Marie Hennessy and Bernie Webb with Moore-McCune claiming the honours on a score of 70.77 with Blokland’s Hoeve’s Amor. This 2005 Dutch-bred Welsh Pony represented Ireland at four European pony dressage championships while his present rider partnered him on the Dressage Ireland team which competed in the British Dressage youth home nations international last year.

The order may have been maintained but the placings weren’t as there was an interloper in Newcastle Lyons’s Abbey Ferris who finished second on 70.6 with How Ya Sammy.

As well as competing to a high standard in dressage, Ferris and the 2016 Connemara gelding by Woodfield Sammy recorded some excellent results with Eventing Ireland last season, highlighted by their success in the EI90 (P) national championship at Kilguilkey House. Unfortunately, they have been eliminated twice in the show jumping phase at Tyrella this season so it was good to see them perform so well here.

Hanna, who is studying for her Leaving Cert this year, had to settle for third on the 24-year-old gelding Carbury (68.23) with McGauran dropping to fourth with Cruising Caricello (66.21).

Moore-McCune also competed hors concours in Section A of the well-supported Intermediate competition where she topped Marie Hennessy’s final leaderboard with Crofs Clover (68.83). The Equieire winner’s prize however was presented to Sligo’s Ellen O’Hara who scored 67.93 on board the 16-year-old bay mare Miss Pollypockets with whom she recorded uncontested victories in two Junior championships at Castle Irvine, Necarne at the weekend.

Comfortable win

Representing the South Union Branch, Beth Coveney comfortably won the Bernie Webb-judged Section B with the ISH mare Forans Daylight (75.17). Coveney and the 2014 daughter of OBOS Quality 004 won the EI100P three-day challenge at the Ballindenisk international event last September and are entered in the CCIP2*-L at the Co Cork venue next week.

Tuesday’s Junior competition class was divided in three with Waterford’s Julie McDonald comfortably landing the Derval Diamond-judged Section A on board the well-known Connemara gelding Shanbo Hazels Boy (82.5), the 20-year-old Monaghanstown Boy bay who she also successfully competed under Eventing Ireland rules last season.

The United Branch fielded a winner in Hayley Hallissey who claimed the honours in Section B when Jean Halpenny awarded her a score of 69.42 for her test on another Connemara gelding, the 16-year-old Bobby Joe grey Old Meadow Joe.

Offaly’s Saoirse Carty recorded a comprehensive victory in the Clare Fitzsimons-judged Section C with the 16-year-old grey gelding Sandy Banks (74.04) on whom she also finished a hors concours second (71.55) in Section B of the Intermediate competition.