KEITH Doyle, who rides for Ireland, was the man in form at Addington Manor during their recent well-supported premier show. Just a week after winning the winter grade C qualifier at Crofton Manor with Corcovada, the Hampshire-based rider claimed another ticket to next year’s championship.

This time Doyle’s winning ride was Ashley Pulleyn’s Calafornia III. Despite being just a few months into his partnership with the careful chesnut gelding, Doyle pulled off some pretty tight turns to clinch the top spot. The Ultimo eight-year-old finished-off the outdoor season in good form, a six bar win at Moreton show being one of his highlights and he has carried on his winning ways during the winter circuit.

“Although it’s his first ‘away show’ with me, he felt really good and jumped clear every day so I thought it was worth moving him up a gear,” said Doyle.

The pair also looked well in contention to clinch a ticket to next year’s Royal International winter B&C championship, but they were ultimately relegated to third spot, just one place off qualifying. Doyle was again in the prizes riding Harlequin Dunraven who finished second in a hotly contested grades B&C competition. This nine-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding by ARD VDL Douglas out of a Harlequin Du Carel mare, had two good placings at Crofton Manor to his credit on the lead-up to Addington and he failed by the merest fraction to hold onto the lead in the B&C contest. Adding to Doyle’s ribbon haul was the Orlando five-year-old Aidy II, who has shown remarkable consistency while working his way up through the grades this season. At Addington, the French-bred gelding was placed every day in the newcomer classes. Adding another two newcomer places to Doyle’s tally, was the Mr Visto six-year-old Visto’s Travichello.

FOXHUNTER

Also at the business end of the line-up several times was Co Longfords’s Derek McCoppin, whose best results came in the Foxhunter classes riding Darco’s Scarlet Lady, Chopard Van Overis Z and Mr Blue Sky UK. After a well deserved family holiday in the sun following a hectic outdoor season, Portadown-born Roger McCrea, who is based at the Oakingham Stud in West Berkshire, hit the ground running on the indoor circuit. The Ulsterman clinched sixth spot in the 1.35m riding the eight-year-old Swedish-bred gelding Sweet Cinnamon. Dave Quigley has also just returned to British shores after competing seven horses in Belgium. From his Shropshire base, Quigley is currently buying, selling and producing under the EIS banner (Equi Invest Show jumpers) and has Limerick rider Paul Kennedy keeping the horses ticking over while he is away. Kennedy made a successful visit to South View where he recently won the 1.25m final riding the Indoctro seven-year-old I Chanel Van Worreneberg. “It proved a fast enough class but she is a very exciting mare,” said Kennedy who also finished fourth in the newcomers class riding EIS Carlingford’s Ali. Michael Hughes from Co Louth bred this five-year-old mare by OBOS Quality.

Meanwhile, Ayrshire-based Trevor Nicholson recently visited SNEC (Scottish National Equestrian Centre) to start the Irish Sport Horse Verdi six-year-old, Drumconnick Verdi, in the Scottish grade C championship. Not surprisingly, this 45-starter championship developed into a thrilling finale as the 14 combinations producing initial clear-rounds were all hoping to win it during the closing stages. Having the favoured last draw and chasing a very fast target, Nicholson and the talented stallion made up ground over the early part of the course, but after a rail fell at the halfway stage, Nicholson decided to slow down and finished seventh overall.