JUNIOR rider Maeve Clarke and her mother Jane’s Belgian-bred gelding Hilton Z took the honours in the Colm Cuffe-sponsored 1.20m final in Cavan.
The pair proved best in a competitive eight-way jump-off, crossing the finish in 34.77 to take the win with the only sub-35 second time.
Seamus Madden’s eight-year-old Belgian-bred gelding Cor D’Hoetsel Z, ridden by Paul McDermott, finished in second place, stopping the clock at 35.39.
Hadley Sport Horses’ Sumas Taloubet (Taloubet Vdl x Pride of Shaunlara) were third with Conor James Teeling in the saddle in a time of 35.58.
Fourth place went to John Floody aboard Tom McGurk’s home-bred mare Kannan Diamantee (Kannan x VDL Arkansas), while Isabel O’Brien and Catherine Walsh’s Highcross Violet took fifth.
Drumaclan Jack, owned by Deirdre McMordie and ridden by her daughter Sara, finished in sixth place as the only other double clear of the class.
Here come the girls
It was a case of ‘here come the girls’ in the Calor Gas 1.10m final, where Marion Hughes’ daughter Matilde and Eddie Moloney’s daughter Emily took first and second places respectively.
Matilde Hughes Bravo was riding her mother’s Belgian-bred mare Miss Belgium III, and recorded a jump-off time of 32.42 in the 15-strong decider.
Emily Moloney partnered Maurice Griffin’s home-bred Miss Lakiha, a six-year-old by Tyson out of Miss Marley, by Pacino. They broke the beams in 32.56 seconds.
Grace McHugh and Rachel Lawlor’s seven-year-old mare In Pursuit Of Happiness (Cruisings Ambassador x Vechta), bred by Colm Condron, took third in 36.21.
Alexandra Horgan and her own KS Harrison (Hermes de Lux x Spartacus) were fourth, while Robyn Moran and Vera Griffin’s four-year-old mare Movie Star (Colman x Calido) slotted into fifth position.
Amateur Lisa Hitchmough and her own German mare Manija completed the line up in sixth place.
Power and Speed
Sunday morning’s opening class, the Castlefield Breeding Farm 1.30m Power and Speed, was won by Junior Katie McEntee riding Samantha Dale’s Roundthorn Hercules (Colestus x Manhattan), bred by Patrica Connon.
A time of 30.87 saw the duo secure the win by a margin of almost a second in what was a very competitive decider.
Another junior, Emily Moloney, earned the runner-up spot when she guided Ian Smyth’s Capitol Cruise (Ard VDL Douglas x Cruising) to a clear in 31.70.
Alice Moloney and Jim O’Neill’s Castlefield Cass (Cassidee x Puissance) were third in 32.09, while Alan O’Regan rode his own seven-year-old Dutch-bred mare La Joya into fourth.
Shane O’Reilly rode BWE Vain Of Diamant (Diamant De Semilly x Darco) into fifth for owner/breeder Brian McConville.
Rosemary Bothwell’s gelding Newberry Cleverleaf, ridden by Nicholas Bothwell, finished in sixth place.