IT would do you good talking to Sian Coleman, who recorded a double from five rides at Clyda last Sunday, as she spoke as positively about the three horses who failed to win, as she did about the two that did and about the event in general.

“The weather was perfect for eventing and the cross-country tracks were really good,” said the rider, who doesn’t live too far from the O’Meara family’s farm. “They beefed the tracks up last year and changed things around a bit for Sunday. There was a great variety of fences and it’s good to have undulating tracks. The show jumping can be quite difficult here, as the ring is on a bit of a camber.”

Coleman struck first in the EI115 where, despite 4.4 cross-country time penalties, she led throughout on the Irish Sport Horse gelding Newmarket Apollo (34.9), who she rides for a neighbour, Darren O’Connor. Time penalties on both jumping phases brought Molly O’Neill’s tally on Muckridge Quick Step up to 37.4, while third-placed Jessica Reid was the only one in the eight-runner field to complete on her dressage score with Ballyorney Bubbles (40.9).

“Darren has bought a new farm, so is busy with that,” said Coleman, as she explained how she got the ride on the seven-year-old Newmarket Venture bay. “For a big horse, Apollo is light on his feet and really could be anything. We’re going to see how he progresses up the grades.”

Double

The double came up in the 26-runner EI110, where the Coleman-partnered ISH mare Cairnview Crystal Springs completed on her dressage score (30.5 penalties) to win narrowly from the Daniel Alderson-ridden Carrowgar Future, who, too completed on his first phase score (31.5). Down from Co Meath, Michael McNally had to settle for third when picking up 1.2 cross-country time penalties on Treasure Island (31.7).

Alderson actually led after dressage on Baby I’m A Star (29.5), but Emma O’Shea’s home-bred Ulysses M2S gelding had a fence down show jumping to drop to sixth. Tom Hayden was eliminated when Stillbrook Lizzie, winner of the Traditional Irish Horse working hunter class at Dublin, refused for the third time across the country, while the Coleman-partnered Wow William was automatically eliminated having picked up 20 show jumping penalties.

“He’ll be fine, he just gets a bit excited show jumping and we can work on that,” said the rider of the French thoroughbred. Of the winner, a six-year-old daughter of Tolan R, she commented: “Geraldine Quinn, who owns and bred the mare, asked me to ride her a couple of months ago. She’s a lovely jumper with a brave, game attitude and is an exciting mare for the future. I’ll see what the weather is like when it comes to Frankfort (September 22nd) and might run her there, then we’ll do a bit of jumping over the winter.”

Coleman has no runners at the EI national championships. “We are having a non-horsey weekend,” she said but added, “I might sneak a look at Burghley!”