THERE were some well-filled classes and high scores at last Saturday’s Dressage Ireland Eastern Region show in Marlton, where Kim McCann recorded a cross-Grade double with the home-bred mare, Bray Summer Breeze.

In the 10-runner Novice BD22, judged by Jillie Rogers (List 3), McCann and the 16-year-old Harlequin du Carel chesnut topped the overall leaderboard on 77.24%, while in the Elementary BD57, where seven combinations came before Lindsey Ilona Brady (List 4), they scored 70.54.

Rogers judged the other Elementary class, the DI52, where all four combinations recorded scores over 70%. Here, Lorraine Cassidy claimed the honours with her Dutch Warmblood gelding Indigo-Perrrado (73.61), an 11-year-old son of Desperado. The bay, who was competing for just the third time this year in affiliated company, is out of the Jetset-D mare Perle, a half-sister to the Johnson gelding Don John (CDI5*).

In the eight-strong Brady-judged Novice DI21, Category 3 rider Deirdre Byrne came out on top with her new ride for this season, the Oldenburg mare Fraulein Frizzi (67.41%), on whom she won in front of the same judge last month in the National Horse Sport Arena. The seven-year-old by Furstenball is out of a Desperados mare.

Preliminary

The same two judges assessed competitors in the unrestricted Preliminary classes. Topping Brady’s leaderboard marginally in the 17-runner DI6 was Nicki Russell with her Irish Sport Horse gelding Frankfort Diggy (70.58%), who was competing in DI company for just the second time. This six-year-old by Dignified van’t Zorgvliet was bred in Co Wexford by Norman Kearney out of the Frankfort Boy mare Frankfort Hope.

Anne Clune and Ragazza Bella, pictured at a previous competition at Marlton, had a Preliminary win at the venue last weekend \ Louise O’Brien Photography

Twelve combinations appeared before Rogers in the BD17A, where Russell and Frankfort Diggy were among five who scored 70% or more. The highest score (74.48) was achieved by Anne Clune riding her 18-year-old bay mare Ragazza Bella.

There were uncontested doubles for Rika Schmeling and the Rhinelander mare Florine in the Rogers-judged Medium classes; for Gilly Crawford and her ISH mare Majestic Heartbreak in the Advanced Medium classes judged by Dermot Cannon (List 1); and by Yuliya Shulga on her Danish Warmblood mare Meklenborgs Vinka in the Advanced classes, which were also judged by Cannon.