DANNY and Michelle Dulohery bounced back from the disappointment of having to cancel their first international event of the year at Kilguilkey House earlier this summer, because of excessive rainfall, to stage what Danny regards as their best event ever last week.

“Everything went well!” he enthused. “We got very good feedback from the riders, most of whom came up to thank me personally, we’ve got a great title sponsor in Semalease and some new sponsors who are on board to go again. It took a lot of work of course to get things right, as I had to aggravate and water the ground, but it was worth it as the riders were pleased, especially those who came in from Britain.”

In spite of very poor entries for the Lightsource BP CCI4*-L and the Colliers CCIP2-L, Dulohery said he would offer those classes again next year, regarding last week’s response as just a blip. “All the British riders told me they’d be back and would have something for the four-star long.”

The Duloherys will see plenty of ponies today, as Area 5 of the Irish Pony Club is staging the final Connolly’s Red Mills eventing qualifier at Kilguilkey where there will be an Eventing Ireland one-day next Sunday. “It’s good to be busy,” concluded Danny.

For the record, just two of four final entries for the CCI4*-L stood their ground with New Zealand’s Sam Lissington adding two cross-country time penalties to her dressage score (29) to win on Ricker Ridge Sooty. That 11-year-old Holstein/thoroughbred cross gelding was the 2019 three-star eventer of the year in his native New Zealand before his transfer to Britain.

Here, Newcastle, Co Dubin’s Ian Cassells finished second on the nine-year-old Jack Of Diamonds gelding Woodendfarm Jack O D who had a pole down show jumping for a total of 40.4 on his first start in a long format event at this level.

There was little between the three combinations in the pony class where Oleana Cowan and Molly O’Connor had a pole down apiece to win and place third respectively on Ballylee Roller (32) and Coolnaleen Rebel (37.2). Ciara O’Connor, who split the pair with Agharanny Minstrel (35.8), had two errors in her test.