NEWRY’s Lucy McIlroy was the runaway winner of this season’s Eventing Ireland Young Rider EI110 league having accumulated 70 points with her mother Angela’s traditionally-bred Irish Sport Horse gelding Major Black.

Although both combinations failed to record a win during the season, Downpatrick’s Darragh Hanlon finished second (25 points) on William Mackie’s ISH mare Omaybe, an 11-year-old bay by Omar, while the very busy Ballinasloe-based Godfrey Gibbons placed third (20 points) with his mother Marie Dunne’s ISH mare Milchem Miami, a seven-year-old grey by Glasgow van’t Merelsnest.

McIlroy and Major Black first came together as a combination in 2017 and were very successful through the Junior levels until a fall in October 2021 saw the rider sidelined for a lengthy spell. “I broke my hip badly and was on crutches for six months,” said the now 20-year-old.

They made a quiet return to eventing with two hors concours outings at EI100 level at Tyrella in March and April but, from then on, competed in mainly EI110 (Open) company and recorded five wins. With a fence down show jumping on both occasions, they finished sixth of 16 in the CCI2*-L at Kilguilkey House in late July and eighth of 18 in the EI115 (Open) championship at the EI National Championships at the same venue in early September.

A 13-year-old son of the ISH stallion Imperial Hights, Major Black was bred in Co Monaghan by Amelia Comiskey (who stands his sire) out of the Silver Wonder mare Tiney. McIlroy also competes his 2018 full-brother Imperial Wonder on whom she qualified for the Junior/Young Rider event horse class at the Dublin Horse Show in August.

“The plan is to aim Imperial Wonder back at the same class next year, while I want to do a 3*-S with Major Black and would love to get on the Young Rider team with him,” said McIlroy, who worked with the Smith brothers in Gilford for the summer, but is now running her own yard back home.

“I have the two event horses, their four-year-old full-brother and some other youngstock. I also have a couple of hunters in and am looking forward to a season’s hunting with the South Tyrone.”

Leaving nothing to chance on her own fitness front, McIlroy rides out each weekday morning for Co Meath racehorse trainer Ger Lyons.

Twelve competitors, including four on the European Young Rider squad, were awarded points in the EI115 Young Rider league, which saw a narrow winner in Tara Dixon with her 10-year-old ISH gelding Master Smart (26 points). The Killinchy, Co Down rider also picked up 10 points with Mannon Farm’s ISH gelding Global Narco, an eight-year-old bay by OBOS Quality 004.

While Dixon and Master Smart competed eight times in this country throughout the season, they also travelled to seven international events overseas. The majority of these were in Britain, while they ended their 2023 campaign in the CCIO4*-L at Boekelo. Master Smart, a son of Satisfaction I, was bred in Co Waterford by Edmond Crotty out of the Master Imp mare Kilpatrick Pip, a full-sister to Miss Fernhill (CCI4*-S) and Kilpatrick Knight (CCI4*).

Second place in the league went to Co Tipperary’s Daniel Meagher, who amassed 22 points with his father James’ ISH gelding A Classic Sportsfield on whom, as an individual, he finished fifth in the European championships in Montelibretti. Waterford’s Heather O’Connor and the ISH gelding HSH Has It All, who were also on the European squad in Italy, finished third having picked up 14 points.