THE Waterford/Tipperary Branch of SJI ran their inaugural league finals for horses at The Ballyrafter Centre, Lismore, last Sunday. The show jumping can only be described as brilliant as each final produced fantastic competition and the winners – Jenny Costello, Fran Mangan and Michelle Griffin – had to be at the top of their game to claim the generous prize money on offer.

Qualifying points for the finals could be acquired at all shows in Waterford and Tipperary throughout the year and, from the outset, Fran Mangan set his goal for the year to win the Fennell’s Garage & Test Centre 90cms €1,000 Final. In showjumping it is not easy to achieve ambitions but Mangan and his lovely mare Parkmore Boher Belle had an extra special round to win on Sunday in 39.46. Somewhere he found places to slide through and in doing so, pipped his great rival Pat Ronayne and Coolbell Diamond who had an equally spectacular round in 41.25.

This kept him ahead of the league leader and the Eclipse Haylage-sponsored leading amateur rider of the league Cola Fox. She has produced her very special five-year-old Connemara Clydagh Golden throughout the summer and jumped another classic in 42.48 ahead of Roisin Oates with Dawn Flight who had 43.40. This was just ahead of Lee Flavin and Bonmahon Tarnsey, also clear in 43.74, and Jennifer Moore took a very worthy sixth with Genoveva Galanta Gaza who set the target time of 45.61.

Ballyrafter Showjumping sponsored the €1,000 1m final and were also rewarded with a fantastic jump-off. Pat Ronayne set another brilliant time of 40.90 and this looked certain to give him top honours this time. However, Katie Frazer, who has had an amazing season qualifying and taking second in the amateur round in the RDS in the summer with her other mare Keylogues Clover Lady, produced the chesnut Keylogues Red Clover here to fly home through the beams in 40.42. It was to prove a short term lead as next and last to go, Michelle Griffin with her league leader, the amazing cob Hillviews Rough Diamond, kept in top gear throughout and having found an almost impossible tight turn got the required fractions to win the lion’s share of the valuable prize pot in 39.07.

Oates had to settle for another fourth prize with Dawn Flight after another super round in 41.38. The winners of the Eclipse Haylage leading young rider award of the league, Gavin Ryan and Booleen Boy, were one hundredth of a second in fifth with 41.39. The Ardmore Equine Supplies for the leading mare was won by Alice Fitzgerald and Springalong Lucy and she took sixth in the final with 43.39 keeping her consistent form.

Earlier in the day, Denn Horse & Pony Feeds sponsored the 80cms final and Jenny Costello had a flying round with Dancing Queen to win well in 42.47. Martina McGrath and her great servant Coolbell Moss had set a good target of 48.27 which kept her second ahead of league leaders Rachel Raher and Clonea Silver Spirit, fractions behind in 48.53. Brian Condon and his promising four-year-old Up for a Cruise were fourth.

The Branch Pony Finals will take place at Ballinamona Equestrian Centre on Sunday, October 22nd.