MAJOR changes have been announced to the format of this year’s Stepping Stones to Success league at Wexford Equestrian, which is due to commence on Wednesday, March 27th.

On arrival at the Tomhaggard venue, competitors and others will immediately note that the dressage phase is being staged this year in a 60x20m arena in the outdoor sand arena; show jumping will take place indoors, followed directly by a cross-country round in the Derby arena over solid fences, banks and water complexes.

Apart from those combinations who finish first to third, the results of the four classes will not be published from round one or from round two, which takes place a week later on Wednesday, April 3rd. There will be no judged element to the jumping phases at these two qualifiers and, subsequently, entry fees will be reduced on those two dates.

Except for the thoroughbred class and final, a judged element will be introduced to the jumping phases in the third and fourth qualifiers – on Wednesday, April 10th, and the traditional viewing/video day on Wednesday, April 17th – also for the finals on Tuesday, April 23rd, when again, apart from the thoroughbreds, there will be the usual extra element of conformation and type.

Qualifiers

Combinations must complete two qualifiers to compete in the final, however, league points will only be allocated in the third and fourth qualifiers and in the final, where points and a half will be on offer.

At every qualifier, there will be rugs for the winners and rosettes for those placed first to third in each class. Much appreciated sponsorship is again being provided by Childeric Saddles (for both the four and five-year-old leagues), by Treo Eile for the thoroughbred league (which is again open to all ages and split into novice and open horses) and, this year, by TRI Equestrian for the event pony league.

The usual additional awards will be on offer – the Varna Studio Trophy for the four-year-old league winner; Jessica Harrington silver platter for leading rider under 25 in the four and five-year-old and pony classes; Tiggy Hancock Trophy for the leading rider under 16 in the same classes; William Codd Memorial Trophy for the highest-placed novice horse in the thoroughbred league; and Irish Horse Welfare Trust award for the highest-placed raced horse in the thoroughbred league.

Entries can be made, when open, through Equipe, where the results of the third and fourth qualifiers plus those of the leagues and finals will be published.

Last spring, the four-year-old league and final were won by the Sligo Candy Boy gelding Belline Jack The Lad, who was ridden by Robbie Collins for Richard Ames, whose Kief Rhapsody, by the same sire, remained unbeaten throughout the five-year-old series under Noel Dunne.

The thoroughbred league and final were won by the once-raced five-year-old Vadamos gelding, Gervada, who was ridden by his owner, Charlie Krause Walshe, while Orla Cassidy claimed the event pony league and final on Anne Magee’s Macs Silver Cookie, a six-year-old Connemara gelding by Silver Shadow.