THE past few weeks have been busy for the Furnell family at Crecora who, having just hosted a string of pony club and unaffiliated fixtures, staged their second Eventing Ireland event last weekend.

Such is the popularity of the venue, they were rewarded by a bumper entry of around 250 runners, many of whom were having their final outing before the Kilguilkey International this weekend.

As a result, riders were greatly appreciative of the effort made to prepare the ground, which had been aggravated, not only across the country, but also in the show jumping and dressage arenas. On the subject of gratitude, organiser Gerald Furnell was keen to pay special tribute to his loyal band of volunteers, without whom the event would not run.

In recognition of their hard work, they in turn are treated to what is probably the best meal on the eventing circuit, with Carolyn Furnell producing the most delicious food, which would rival any professional kitchen. “It’s a lot of work for Carolyn, but these people generously give up their time to help us, so the very least we can do is to give them a good meal,” said Gerald.

Tilley on form

Out on track, the feature classes were dominated by the professionals, so it came as no surprise to see John Tilley fill two of the top three placings in the EI 115 (O). Riding the Kilkenny International-owned License To Cooley, the Welsh-born rider was competitive from the outset and, having shared the dressage lead with Sian Coleman (Kilroe Frolic) on 29.3, he progressed to produce one of only three double clear rounds.

Now a 10-year-old, the winning KWPN import was initially campaigned by Scottish international Wills Oakden and, since arriving in Ireland at the start of last year, has been quietly racking up the qualifications with Tilley.

The pair are hoping for a good run in the CCI3*-S at Kilguilkey this weekend, before moving up a level in preparation for a four-star outing at Lisgarvan in a few weeks’ time.

A slip past the skinny at 12 (b) put Coleman out of contention with Kilroe Frolic, but did open the door for Declan Cullen who, on a score of 32.1, slotted into second with his experienced campaigner Seavaghan Ash. Also benefitting, John Tilley filled third with the smart mare Trend de la Cruise.