“IT was a great event,” was Peter Fell’s comment following the first Eventing Ireland one-day hosted by the Fell family at Ballindenisk in 2024. There were no howevers, ifs or buts on reflection, but merely a confirmation of the fact, “Yes, it was a great event.”

It could have been a very long day for some, but while those competing in the EI120 had to start dressage at 8.30am, for those in the EI100 and the EI90 classes, there was time for an early lunch before they had to ride. “Those long days are fine for an international, but no one wants to ride their dressage early in the morning and then hang around all day waiting to be among the last out across the country,” opined Fell.

“While we’ve no point-to-points at this time of year, we are still very busy – particularly so with dressage and are looking forward to holding the Dressage Ireland national championships here in early September, a couple of weeks before our second international event. At the moment, we’re putting in a new 80m x 40m all-weather arena.”

Last Sunday, Ballindenisk hosted one of the country’s all-too-rare EI120 classes. There were seven starters; the dressage winners on 33.4, Momo Sheehy and TMX Herby, withdrew before cross-country; second after the flatwork phase on 33.8, John Tilley and Licence To Cooley were one of two combinations to run into a problem across the country.

Victoria Brown and Dunrath Navigator were fastest over the fixed fences (14.8 time penalties), but had to settle for second (53.6) behind Tara Dixon and the ISH gelding Global Narco, whose better first phase score saw them complete on 51.2.

This was a first win for Dixon on Mannon Farm’s nine-year-old OBOS Quality 004 bay, who she began competing at the start of the 2023 season. With a double clear, the Co Down combination finished ninth of 25 in the CCI3*-L at Millstreet.

Michael O’Toole and First Obama (ISH) won the El115 Open class at Ballindenisk 1 \ Justin Black/ Horse Sport Images

EI115 Open

Michael O’Toole comfortably recorded his best result of the season when winning the 10-runner EI115 Open on his ISH gelding First Obama, who Heidi Hamilton competed for the Co Wicklow veterinary surgeon at the start of the season.

Sian Coleman notched up win number four of the campaign, when landing the nine-strong EI115 on Gina Heaps’ 11-year-old home-bred ISH gelding Carrowgar Je T’Aime Max, who the rider also competes in 1.40m Grand Prix with Showjumping Ireland.