THE second of the HSI affiliates combined training league qualifiers which took place last Sunday was hosted by the Western Region of Eventing Ireland at the Milchem Equestrian Centre in Co Galway during the region’s own combined training league final.

Despite a dismal forecast, there were just a few showers in the morning, when Vida Tansey was the dressage judge, while the weather picked up greatly from noon onwards when Liam Maloney took over the judging duties.

To the qualifiers first of all and leading the way in the 80cms division was the great Connemara gelding Creganna Dandini (32 penalties), here partnered by his owner/breeder, Marjorie Hardiman.

Now 14 years of age, the Cashelbay Prince grey had a point to spare over Bonita, a four-year-old filly by the thoroughbred stallion Hit The Diff who was ridden by Godfrey Gibbons for Marie Dunne, his mother and the regional secretary.

Riding Clonmoylan Red Hugh (32), Hardiman’s daughter Lara Field had to settle for second in the 90cms section behind Emily Marnane and another top working hunter Connemara, her mother Melanie’s 13-year-old Fernville Danny gelding Danny’s Pride (27.5). Field and Clonmoylan Hugh were clear winners of the region’s 90cms league.

In the 1m qualifier it was the turn of Katie Gibbons to shine, this time on Dunne’s ISH mare Milchem Mischief (25.25), a six-year-old by Carnhill Bertas Lad who was successfully campaigned at EI90 and EI100 level last season by Godfrey. The dun was bred at Milchem by Ralph Conroy who produced a great track for Sunday’s jumping phase which included a water splash, a bank and skinnies.

Eimear Nee finished second here on yet another well-known Connemara gelding Charlie of Blakehill (25.5), a 14-year-old Coosheen Stormboy grey. This result mirrored that of the regional league where Gibbons and Milchem Mischief ran out the clear winners having won three legs of the series.

A clear round secured the first qualifying spot in the HSI 1.10m class for Godfrey Gibbons and Dunne’s Milchem Free Spirit (31.25), the ISH mare on whom he represented Ireland at the European Junior eventing championships in Sweden last August. The 10-year-old Contra A chesnut was bred by Ralph Conroy out of the Nautilus mare Milchem Clover Lady.

Going through to next month’s final having finished second with a pole down jumping for a total of 32 penalties is Christopher Whyte and his seven-year-old Puissance mare LadyCraft on whom he recorded some excellent results last year, highlighted by his win in the EI110 for six-year-olds at Punchestown in early August.

The 1.15m regional league was won by Conor Leahy riding Margaret Hynes’s 12-year-old Barnaboy Freeman gelding Barnaboy Peaches N Cream, while at the opposite end of the scale, Lily Berry McLaughlin won the 80cms league with the 10-year-old General Humbert gelding, General Sinatra.

Over 180 combinations competed throughout the league and the Western Region has many activities planned for the months ahead most notably its eventing starter stakes league which commences on Saturday, March 19th.