HAVING dodged most of the rain during its two-day Festival at Castle Irvine, Necarne, earlier this month, the Northern Region wasn’t as fortunate last Sunday as Dressage Ireland-affiliated classes returned to Danescroft.

There were some very well-filled classes judged by a line-up of Dermot Cannon (List 1), David Lee (List 3), regional chairperson Joan Adrain (List 6) and Claire Sedgeman (List 6) who, we are told, provided riders with brilliant feedback.

Doubles were recorded in the two Preliminary classes by Joanne Jarden and Rebecca Millar’s Irish Draught gelding Ballygowans Ready Teddy Go, an Offaly Clover six-year-old.

At Elementary level, Denise Kelly Rice scored a double with Pamela Wilson’s Westfalian mare Forvanna, a similarly-aged bay by Formidable.

Riding the Westfalian gelding Flagranti, who is owned by Dressage Ireland chair Marguerite Kavanagh, Ruaidhrí Ó Cianáin saw off his sole opponent to win the second of the Advanced Medium classes (the FEI Junior individual test).

However, on 63.17%, he and the 14-year-old Florencio bay were comfortably outscored in the first (the FEI Junior Preliminary test) by the unregistered pairing of Daniel Brown and his mother Maureen’s four-star eventer Fleur de Lis (67.67), an 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare by Hold Up Premier.

Junior international Ellen McDonald recorded a comprehensive success in the David Lee-judged Medium DI77 where she and her father Jim’s 13-year-old Dutch Riding Pony Dante Alighieri scored 74.29%.

Mark Robinson was next best on Master Caledonia (67.29).

Dublin Horse Show demonstration

READERS of this page will be delighted to learn that a dressage demonstration will once again feature on the programme for the upcoming Dublin Horse Show.

Taking place at 2.30pm in Simmonscourt as the show opens on Wednesday next, August 9th, there will be a display of dressage to music by some of the country’s international riders with commentary by two leading coaches. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend.