Minute’s silence held

DENNISON Commercials, who are well-known sponsors of young horse maidens at Northern point-to-points, sponsored a regional competition for young riders at last weekend’s Horse Sport Ireland/Eventing Ireland national championships at Lisgarvan House.

As if planned, not only did the winning team Croob (named after a mountain in Co Down) represent the Northern Region of EI, but Debbie Byrne, whose daughter Alex contributed to the team’s success when winning the EI100 (J) championship on Major Cross, is a best friend of Katrina Dennison.

Also on the Croob team were Alex O’Hare, who claimed the EI100 (P) title on Greylands Diamond Girl, Emma Stewart who finished 11th in the EI90 (P) on the Connemara gelding Beezies Minty and the co-opted Kildare competitor Tom Nestor who was third in the EI110 (P) on Freddie.

While the late Jack de Bromhead never competed under Eventing Ireland rules, he was well-known to many of the young riders at Lisgarvan House through Pony Club activities and the championships’ cross-country commentator, Chris Ryan, called for a minute’s silence to be observed in his memory on Sunday.

Reports on the championships appear in pages 99-101.

Vote for Star of the Month

GET your votes in for the August Star of the Month. The nominees are the Aga Khan-winning Irish show jumping team, event rider Ben Connors, show jumper James Derwin and para dressage rider Michael Murphy. Voting closes at midnight on September 22nd. Visit www.theirishfield.ie/star.

Well done Seamus!

IRISH Pony Club mounted games riders gathered on Thursday evening to thank their trainer and mentor Seamus Beirne for all his hard work and dedication. After six years of fun and games, Seamus, who has headed Mounted Games in Kildare Hunt Pony Club (KHPC) is passing the reins over to Sinead Weld and Cliona Twomey. Seamus was instrumental in organising the training and resources that resulted in KHPC winning the Mounted Games Championships in 2019 – the first time in 25 years that Kildare had won the title. Turning up ahead of time at every competition to mark out arenas, roll the ground, and loan ponies to others have endeared so many to Seamus and the mounted games in Kildare.

All in KHPC ‘thank you Seamus’ for your hard work and dedication over the years and wish you the best in the future.

Monart Sale dates

MONART Sale (November 7th-10th) of three-year-olds potential event horses, run by five-star riders Niall Griffin (IRE), Polly Jackson (GB) and Bill Levett (AUS), welcomes buyers from November 7th – 8th November, for two viewing days on Monart, Co Wexford. The sale will then take place online during November 9th and 10th.

This year’s sale will be presented by Sprenger, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of bits. The 2022 sales catalogue is due for release in late September with full sales videos available to view via www.themonartsale.com from early October. Prospective buyers are required to register in advance of the sale, whether they are intending to attend in person or online.

Correct name notice

MANY apologies to Eva O’Shaughnessy who took part in the Tiggy’s Trust recent event at Blair, covered in last week’s issue. There was an error with her name and we are happy to put the record straight.

Development series

HORSE Sport Ireland announced the dates of the 2022 Eventing Autumn Development Series. The series is expanded to six standalone legs with €50,000 in funding for competitors and breeders’ prizes. The series caters for horses from four-year-olds up to and including seven/eight-year-olds. It is open to Irish-breds as documented on their passport or registered in a DAFM-Approved Studbook. It begins tomorrow (Sunday) at Killossery Lodge Stud. See www.eventingireland.com for the dates.