MARIA Lee became the third Holmestead Saddlery Winter League Champion at Kildare International last weekend by accumulating the maximum points over the duration of the eight-week league.

The local rider, based at Kildare International, secured the league victory with Amy Hanlon Lambert’s pony Loch Capall. Lee went the duration of the league in the 70cms class without incurring a single fault up to the final and she put her name onto the top prize of a brand new saddle from Holmestead Saddlery before a jump-off was required.

In the class itself, visiting rider Jessica Kavanagh claimed the win with her own McCoy, recording a double clear in the safe time of 48.09. She finished ahead of one of the locally-based riders, Adeline Distromeu with Rock and Roll Fifi while, newly crowned league winner, Maria Lee knocked her only pole in the league finishing in a time of 32.58 to take third place.

Lee follows in the footsteps of previous winners Caitlin Innes and Aimee Heavey who also both collected saddles for winning the overall league title.

The following classes needed some quick rounds to claim wins as Rita McLoughlin steered her own Alannah to victory in the 80cms division. McLoughlin set a blistering pace on 34.43 to win the class just ahead of the early leader, Amy Hanlon Lambert who took over on Loch Capaill for this class only to be pipped on the line in a time of 34.93. Maria Lee then took the reins on Sunny to slot into third place, breaking the beam at 34.94, just .01 of a second off the runner-up spot in the 13-horse jump off.

OVERALL WINNER

Sarah Fitzpatrick was the overall winner of the 80cms league with her own Copper, accumulating 23 points, while Rita McLoughlin took second in the league after her final win.

The 90cms competition proved to be equally as tight with eight combinations going through to the jump off. Ciara Manders proved to be quickest of all with Casey, who showed plenty of speed to stop the clock in a time of 34.60. Heidi Slott Joergensen took second with Eirinn’s Choice in 35.08. Anna Creedon completed the top three with Bandalero in 35.52.

This brought up a double on the day for Rathmore riders as Ruth Sargent took the overall league win with 21 points, following up from Rita McLoughlin’s earlier win. Heidi Slott Joergensen again had to settle for second place overall, having finished with 20 points just ahead of Isabelle Tyrell on 19.

Manders claimed her second win of the day in the metre final with a head to head jump off against Cian Doyle, son of former Olympian, Jack. The pair appeared to have nothing between them on the early part of the course but Manders began to stretch approaching the final three fences to record a time of 33.47 just ahead of Doyle who stopped the clock at 37.12.

The win was enough to put Manders clear at the top of the League and she finished victorious on 21 points. Cian Doyle moved up to runner up spot after finishing second in the final and finishing on 17 points.

In the earlier classes, some of the younger competitors got their chance with the 40cms as Lucy Gaffney took her first win with her Grandfather’s Brightsome Beauty. Another Kildare International rider, Shauna Kelly also recorded her first win in the 50cms league on her own Verdi as she won the League title. Jessica Reid took the final win with Jellytot in a time of 48.82.

The 60cms class gave Jessica Reid another win on Jellytot as she finished best in a four-horse jump-off ahead of Indigo Doolin and Coosheen Shadown, the overall winners of the section.