THE EI100 (P) at Finvoy only attracted four entries, developing into a match between Co Meath’s Carla Williamson, who had two rides, and the Connors family from Kildare represented by European pony team gold and individual silver medallist Ben on Cloneeangh Ted and his sister Alex with Meelicks River.
It proved to be a Royal county rout with Williamson scoring for the second time in two starts on her flatwork mark with Jane Hancock’s Ardeo Fireman (24.8) and, with a pole down show jumping, placing second on her first EI start with the dressage winner, Rockon Pedro (28.3). Both ponies were previously ridden by Williamson’s brother Josh who was on the European gold medal-winning team with Ardeo Fireman, finishing fourth individually.
This was the start of a good weekend break from boarding school for Carla who was also among the winners at Lambertstown on Sunday.
Ward Union Pony Club member Emily Brooks landed the EI110 (J) on Ardagh Mayday, a six-year-old OBOS Quality 004 mare owned by the rider’s mother Christine.
The Co Meath combination were last of the three starters after dressage (44) and had a fence down in the show jumping ring where they were also two seconds over the time. However, with the addition of 7.2 cross-country time penalties, Emily recorded her first success at this level on a total of 56 as the leaders after dressage on 34.5, Grace O’Donoghue and Waverley, ducked out at fence 12, the four-part Water.
Just two combinations, both from the Northern Region, contested the EI110 (P). Despite a pole down show jumping and time penalties on both jumping phases, Molly O’Connor and her father Paul’s 13-year-old coloured mare Fernhill Mix and Match (44.5) held off Connie Cullen and Ballyvary Padraig who had a glance-off across the country, at the second of the double of birches at 18, also picking up time penalties for a total of 52.8.
Bounced back
Abby Cummiskey and Sandi Thompson’s Crackerjack VIII bounced back from their disappointing seventh-place finish in the EI100 (J) national championship at Lisgarvan House to win at the same level on Saturday on their Penny Sangster-awarded dressage score of 22.5.
Their closest rivals at the end of the day were Rachael Broome and the non-winning thoroughbred mare Natures Blossom, who also completed on their dressage mark (25). Here, the aforementioned Alex Connors placed third with King-Paola whose three-phase total (25.4) included 1.6 for time on the final leg.
On their second start together, Raju Singh led after dressage with Mawillan (22.3) but eight show jumping penalties put paid to their chances in this 11-runner class.
In the two-runner EI90 (P), Dromore’s Adam Boggs (13) completed on his dressage score of 29.5 with Paul Edgar’s 13-year-old piebald gelding Tony as Maya Constable, who had a pole down show jumping with Duncarbery Cascade, finished on 35.8.
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