THE United and Carbery Branches combined to host Sunday’s Connolly’s Red Mills eventing series qualifier at Ballindenisk where the United held their summer camp in the days that followed.

The Scarteens and the Carberys were represented by three winners apiece but it was the Tipperary Branch who won the featured Open class through Kate Walsh and Clare Corballis’ Lisheen Fork Lightning. Walsh and the 17-year-old chesnut gelding have been enjoying their weekends on the Eventing Ireland scene, recording two EI100 (J) wins and being placed at EI110 (J) level.

Despite a fence down show jumping, they posted a runaway success on Sunday completing on 28 penalties while their nearest rivals in the eight-runner class, the North Tipperary & Ormonds’ Abbie Meagher and B Vallette, finished second on 40.55.

The first of the Scarteens’ three victories came in the 25-strong Intermediate where there were plenty of problems in both jumping phases although nine riders recorded double clears.

Best among these was Avril Rea who led throughout with her father Patrick’s Blessington Black Shadow (24.50 penalties), a 15-year-old bay gelding on whom she too competes under EI rules.

As they couldn’t be separated, there was a tie here for second on 26 penalties between North Kilkenny’s Aine Duggan riding Comanche Child and, on a good day for her, Tipperary’s Kate Walsh with the Dublin-bound Connemara gelding Beechtree Watchful.

Clear winner

There were 26 starters in the Intro Intermediate where, having established a clear lead in the dressage phase (22.75), Carbery’s Ellie Fleming Hand and Gamira 8 could afford the four show jumping penalties they picked up and still win by a three-point margin from the South Union’s Rian Tagney and FVS Jester Million (29.75).

A 12-year-old Bavarian Warmblood mare by Cielito Lindo, Gamira 8 had an excellent record in 2021 when ridden by Ireland-based British international Daniel Alderson.

Scarteen representatives won both Junior classes on their dressage scores. In Section A, the honours went to Nadine Lane and the 16-year-old skewbald gelding Jamie Son (28.50 penalties). In Section B, Jonty Purcell came out on top with the Irish Sport Horse mare FHS Felicity (29.50), a five-year-old dun by the German thoroughbred Acambaro.

The Carbery Branch struck back comprehensively in the Novice Junior where, in completing on her dressage score (32.50 penalties), Olivia O’Mahony won by a six-point margin on board Pepsi.

With the only sub-30 penalty score in the dressage phase, fellow Carbery Branch member Elaine Whelton recorded an all-the-way success in Section A of the Under 12s’ class with the 14-year-old bay gelding BEC Fanta (28.75) while The Kingdom’s Lexi Keane struck once again in Section B where she too led throughout on Woodland Prancer (22).