TRANSFORMING a racehorse into a riding horse would seem like child’s play to organisers Caoimhe Doherty and Sarah Sands who, overnight on Wednesday, had to move the Treo Eile Thoroughbred Classic from Emerald Equestrian to JAG Equestrian, through no fault of the former venue.

With commentary from Chris Ryan, a huge promoter of thoroughbred blood in event horses, backed up by The Irish Field’s Brendan McArdle and Kevin O’Ryan of Racing TV, the featured Treo Eile Thoroughbred Classic on Thursday evening saw 10 teams of four battle it out over a track built by Geourgei Geourgiev before he headed over to the London International Horse Show.

Each team comprised a current or past professional jockey, two professional riders from the Olympic disciplines and one pony rider. The competition was run as a two-phase class and, while the fences had a maximum height of just 90cms, the course designer included some very sharp turns which asked a lot of those horses who had only recently left the world of racing.

Five of the 10 teams finished on a zero score and it was the all-female Seabiscuits quartet which came out on top in 79.35 ahead of the Tigers (84.21), headed by Davy Russell, and the Pharoahs (86.47) whose team captain, Rory Cleary, is well-known in showing as well as racing.

The winning squad comprised one-time Junior and Young Rider international turned leading amateur jockey Katie Walsh on the 2018 BoyleSports Irish Grand National winner General Principle, the 2005 European Championship team member Sarah Wardell riding the seven-year-old non-winning Black Sam Bellamy gelding Whydah, Cliodhna Brennan and the unraced Road To Emmaus, a seven-year-old Sir Prancealot gelding who won an EI100 (J) and and EI110 (J) in the season just past, and Katie’s niece Lucy McCarthy riding the 15-year-old black mare Little Field Clover on whom she jumps at 1m level.

Parade

Prior to the team event, spectators were entertained by the Moyglare Champions Parade featuring former track stars such as Douvan, Sizing John, Thousand Stars and Faugheen among others.

The jumping action started early in the afternoon with the Clipper Logistics Thoroughbred Finale, an 80cms two-phase event with prizes sponsored by Plusvital. Seven of the 19 starters jumped a double clear with the fastest time of 26.27 being recorded by Sarah Wardell and Whydah.

In the Overlander Pony Discovery competition, which had similar conditions but with prizes sponsored by TRI Equestrian, there were 33 starters of whom 17 recorded double clears. Here, the honours went to Co Fermanagh’s Rianna Mulligan who was home in 23.84 on the Connemara gelding Highlandy Rebel, an 11-year-old grey by Oisin.

Unfortunately, the live-streaming of the team competition, plus coverage of the parade and interviews, was marred by connectivity issues but you can check out the highlights on Treo Eile’s Facebook page.

Hopefully, the organisers will put up the very well-produced competition programme where you see the great support for the event from advertisers across the sectors.