THERE were 34 starters in the EI100 (J) championship at Kilguilkey House last weekend of whom 33 completed, five of them doing so on sub 30-penalty scores.

The title went to Hannah Groves on the traditionally-bred Irish Sport Horse gelding The Kings Ransom (27.4) ahead of Ellen Holmes on the unraced British thoroughbred gelding Rastaman (28.5).

Two combinations are recorded as sharing third place on 29.5, Kate Walsh who had a pole down show jumping with the Dutch riding pony Copy Cat WM and Ella Doody who completed on her dressage score with the ISH gelding Herald Of Milltown. Esta Isobelle Roche rounded off the top five with Splendid B whose total of 29.7 included 1.2 cross-country time penalties.

Hannah, who is from Co Kildare, is working with Smith Brothers Eventing which is how she got the ride on The Kings Ransom who, until mid-June had been partnered solely by Steven Smith. This was the pair’s fifth outing as a combination and their second success following that at Loughanmore in early August.

The Kings Ransom is owned by well-known amateur rider, and physiotherapist, Ann Bowe and her husband Paul. The eight-year-old Kings Master bay was bred in Co Wexford by Julia Crosbie out of the Bonnie Prince mare Lily Langtree.

The plan is for Groves to work towards her BHS exams while also seeking selection for next year’s Junior team with The Kings Ransom. Steven and Trevor Smith are keen to give Junior riders in the yard an opportunity to target that team and so Anna McErlean and Lee Bloomfield are on the same programme as Groves. Hannah celebrated her win at Kilguilkey in the company of her parents, Andrew and Ailish.