THE only chance to qualify for a place in the RDS Puissance competition at the Dublin Horse Show was offered in Mullingar last Sunday. The class is held over five rounds and, in order to earn a place, riders must clear 1.80m. Just five riders lined out for the class.

Sean Monaghan riding Douglas Taylor’s French-bred mare Babou Derick (Ready Boy Des Forets x Caridor Z) proved best of the bunch, clearing a massive 2.05m to claim the win, the lion’s share of the €2,000 on offer and, most importantly, a chance to compete in the Puissance at the Dublin Horse Show.

Brendan Murphy and Hugh Fitzpatrick’s home-bred mare Erne Riverrun (Antaeus x Aldatus Z) finished as runners-up, but having cleared 1.80m in the fourth round, they too have qualified to compete in the RDS in August.

Third place went to junior Oisin Magee and Paul Curtis’ Landslide AW (Limbus x Caretino) after they collected four faults in the third round.

Robbie Healy and his own KMS Clintland (Clinton x Corland) took fourth, having faulted in round one, while Susan Oakes and her own H. D’Or (Catwalk van de Helle x Caesar van de Helle) had a refusal and a fall in their first attempt at the wall.