THE last of six standalone legs of this year’s Horse Sport Ireland eventing autumn development series, which was supported by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, was held last Saturday at Wexford Equestrian where the format of going straight from one phase to the next worked really well, especially for those with multiple rides.

The dressage phase was staged in the outdoor sand arena where Anne Kirwan judged all the four-year-olds before handing over to Jill Spring for the remaining classes.

Show jumping took place over 10 fences in the indoor arena after which competitors went outside again to tackle 10 or 11 cross-country fences, depending on the class, including banks and water.

A winner earlier in the month at the Milchem EC in Co Galway, the Fraser Duffy-ridden Irish Sport Horse gelding Fernhill Count On Me recorded a second series victory when landing the AE100 for five-year-olds on his flatwork mark of 24.5 penalties.

Just days after his return from the world young event horse championships at Le Lion d’Angers, where he was Ireland’s highest-placed rider, Ian Cassells was back in action here where he finished second with Lucy McCarthy’s home-bred Je t’Aime Flamenco mare Greenogue Gigi (26.75). A fence down show jumping proved costly for Kathy Charlton as she dropped to third with her grey Diamant de Semilly gelding, Class Cut Diamond (30.25).

Owned by Carol Gee, Fernhill Count On Me has had one outing under Eventing Ireland rules, placing fifth in an EI100 for five-year-olds early last month at Grove under Luca Bortolamei. The Italian international was also on board the Chacoa bay when he won his performance horse class at Balmoral in May and when winning the Dubarry Burghley five-year-old young event horse qualifier at the Tattersalls Ireland show in July.

Fernhill Count On Me, who has 26 Show Jumping Ireland points to his credit, was bred in Co Limerick by Joanne Murphy Hanley out of her Aldatus Z mare Buttercup Elm.

In the AE90 for four-year-olds, Duffy and Gee’s Aisling Star (28 penalties), a grey mare by the Je t’Aime Flamenco stallion Landenco, had to settle for second, sandwiched between Maria Byrne with Phantom Treasure (27) and the very busy Patrick Whelan on Hans Juergen Kuehnle’s Tyson mare, Tullibards Mum Said (31.25). All three combinations completed on their dressage scores.

An eye-catching skewbald, Phantom Treasure has amassed 33 Show Jumping Ireland points under her owner, Shirley Berry, who is better known in the point-to-point sphere. By the bay tobiano Dutch Warmblood stallion Phanten, the four-year-old was bred in Co Wexford by Patrick Kehoe out of the 2014 chesnut mare Chesty who has no recorded pedigree.

“This really is a very smart mare,” said Byrne. “She was a catch ride for me, as Shirley would normally compete ‘Mandy’, and I only sat up on her once during the week before the show. She is a great jumper with the temperament and paces for dressage and is very rideable.”

Byrne’s brother Patrick and the home-bred 2018 OBOS Quality 004 gelding BGS Golden Touch (33 penalties) finished second in the two-runner AE115 for seven and eight-year-olds behind Blathnaid Boyd and Mr Obos Hullabaloo. A 2015 gelding by the same Oldenburg stallion, the winner, who has 25 Eventing Ireland points, was bred in Co Kerry by Anna Kennedy out of the Aldatus Z mare KEC Leapalli, dam previously of the KEC Maximum Joe gelding Kilfenora (CSI4*).

Dominated

A regular competitor at Wexford Equestrian, Co Waterford’s Ciara Power dominated the dressage phase of the AE110 for six-year-olds so the addition of four show jumping penalties didn’t knock her off the top spot with the ISH gelding Rossmount Aldi Hero who finished on a total of 30.

Edward Kelly filled the runner-up slot on the Sibon W mare Fanlehane Nariah (34.75) with Jess Widger placing third on the Spirit House mare Grantstown Spirit whose total of 38.5 included four show jumping penalties.

Placed multiple times during the past eventing season, highlighted by finishing fifth in the CCI2*-S at Ballindenisk in early July, the Celtic Hero BZ mare Rossmount Aldi Hero was bred in Co Clare by Michael Griffin out of the Aldatus Z mare Aldi Clover.

Patrick Whelan, another to have competed at Le Lion d’Angers the previous weekend, rode eight horses here on Saturday including four in the open 90cms class. He filled the top three places, winning on the ISH gelding Cloud Master, a six-year-old by Golden Master. Bred by Barbara Hatton out of the Maltstriker mare Slyguff Amber, this newcomer is a full-brother to BT Cloud Nine (CIC3*) among others.

The 1m open was won by Noel Dunne with the Zangersheide gelding Cristiano TG Z, a five-year-old by Canturano Z, while Gearoid Bolger landed the 1.10m open on the ISH gelding Into Mischief, an eight-year-old gelding by OBOS Quality 004. These open classes were sponsored by TopSpec Horse Feeds.