HAVING fully opened for business at their new yard in Borris on September 1st, the Kilkenny International team of Andrew Williams and John Tilley marked the move with a win at last weekend’s Eventing Ireland national championships at Kilguilkey House.

Their victory was recorded in the 27-runner NutriScience EI110 championship where Tilley, who had competed in the Burghley young event horse finals on the Friday, completed on his winning dressage score with the Anglo European Studbook-registered gelding Grand Espoir (28 penalties).

The top six on the final leaderboard all likewise finished on their first phase marks, with Patrick Whelan placing second on MFB Corbeagh (31.4). The show jumping phase had its influence on the result, as did the final leg where three combinations retired (one for a tack malfunction) and a further seven picked up jumping penalties.

“We were absolutely delighted with ‘Arthur’, who I consider to be a 5* horse,” said Williams, who drove the yard’s runners to Kilguilkey on Friday, as Tilley made his way back from Burghley. “He will probably end his season in the 2*-S at Ballindenisk, where Licence To Cooley, who was a brilliant second in the EI120 championship, will run in the 4*-S, after which he may go to Kronenberg next month.

“We were also thrilled with Trend de la Cruise in the EI115 (Open), where she finished fifth. She was lying third after dressage and jumping but, as she’s feisty and quick, John took it handy with her across the country and their time penalties (4.4) dropped them to fifth. She’ll do the 3*-L at Ballindenisk. It was annoying more than anything else than John slipped off Wellfields Casino Royale at the water in the seven-year-old class, as they were in the lead.

“I thought Eventing Ireland worked hard to make the championships a success, it just needs to be pulled together more, and we were delighted with our weekend,” concluded Williams.