THE Northern Region of Eventing Ireland held a Derby day last Saturday at the Stevenson family’s Tullylish where, in the metre class, none of his younger rivals could beat 74-year-old Philip Swann on Tignabruaich.

In a class of 40 starters, Philip was clear and closest to the optimum time on the 12-year-old Lougherne Corea gelding who was bred by his daughter Rachel (now Williams). She partnered the bay to victory in an EI100 Amateur class at Finvoy last August when home on holiday from Cyprus and will probably claim the ride back again in a few weeks’ time.

Philip won the metre class in the two-phase competition staged by the Northern Region at Tyrella in March on his nine-year-old Lougherne Quick Step gelding Entwistle Foxtrot while his last success in an event proper came at Knockany in August 2003 – 19 years ago – when he won the Sportsman class on Honest Verdict.