PRODUCERS of young event horses were in action early in the year as two rounds of the 2020 Horse Sport Ireland autumn development series had been deferred into March with both being staged in Co Wexford.

At Wexford Equestrian on March 21st, the HSI AE110 for seven-year-olds was won by the Gerry Leahy-owned, Ian Cassells-ridden Millridge Atlantis while the following week, at Barnadown, that class was won by Joanne Corish on her father Tom’s Lates Caralier. Both combinations represented Ireland and the Irish Sport Horse Studbook at the World Breeding Championships for Young Event Horses at Le Lion d’Angers in October.

The Stepping Stones to Success League at Wexford Equestrian returned to its usual spring dates for 2021 and here Sarah Ennis won both Childeric Saddles age leagues with Ardeo Grand Slam (four-year-old) and Silken Icon (five-year-old). Amanda Goldsbury landed the Equijump pony producers league on Tullibards Sands Boy while local rider Patrick Whelen claimed the honours in the Perfect Eventer thoroughbred league with the stallion Galileo Dance.

Second to her sister Sarah in the Childeric Saddles four-year-old league, Nicola Ennis had to settle for the same position with MBF Silver Bridge in the Young Eventhorse Series/Horse Sport Ireland league where she finished one point behind the winning combination of Sian Coleman riding Diamond Mistress.

The five-year-old league was also won narrowly by Christine O’Donnell on Point And Go but Bryan Bourke recorded a runaway victory in the Junior/Young Rider league with Killea Quality Cruise.

This year’s lucrative HSI autumn development series was poorly supported with just one Arena Eventing leg going ahead on Sunday, November 11th at Ballindenisk.

There, the winners were Patricia Ryan riding The Game Changer (AE105 for six-year-olds), her husband Michael with JVK Eclipse (AE100 for five-year-olds) and Nicky Roncoroni on Rock Island (AE90 for four-year-olds).

Read all the 2021 national eventing reviews here.