AIMEE Barry had the perfect end to her year, when she captured both feature classes at the Christmas Horse Show in Cavan last weekend.

Riding her father Joe’s mare Garryndruig Limoncello, the Limerick veterinary student won the Botanica 1.35m class on Saturday, and then went on to add the Showjumping Ireland 1.40m on Sunday. This followed the three victories the pair earned at the Autumn Grand Prix in Hollypark and JAG, as well as the 1.40m WKD Jump-off in Cavan during October and November.

By Amaretto D’arco out of Garryndruig Cruising Akademi, by Cruising, the 10-year-old was bred by Geri McGeoghan-Santry and has been ridden by Barry for the past three years.

Speaking after the weekend, Barry told The Irish Field: “Honestly, I’m still lost for words. I can’t believe it. I’m absolutely delighted.

“After I’d won the 1.35m, I said to myself no matter what happens we’ve finished the year on a high, so I went in yesterday (Sunday) and gave it my all, but I really didn’t think we were going to win it.

“I feel like both of us have grown together. We’ve gone through the ranks together. This is my first time competing at this level and the same with Cello (Garryndruig Limoncello). We never pushed her too quickly, we didn’t ask too much of her too soon, we never overdid it and I feel like it just all came together then.

“I’m in my final year, so I’m going through all the different departments in UCD. I’ve my exams next May. I just have her to ride, she motivates me to get my head down and study during the week and then I get to go out and compete her at the weekends.

“Kian Dore has been absolutely excellent, the whole Dore family has helped me so much. Without them, the whole year would not have been possible. They live near us and he (Kian) keeps her going and fit for me when I’m up in Dublin at college.

“In the 1.35m, I saw Annabel (Shields) and Sven (Hadley) go and they were extremely fast. The first distance I went up on the seven and then coming around to the double, I knew the first part was big, so I set her up and supported her coming into it.

“After I had that out of the way, I just really chanced on, and at the second last, that’s where I think I made up the time. I got an absolute flyer to that oxer and was able to open up after it and fly to the last.

Mare of a lifetime

“As the commentator said yesterday when I came through the finish, ‘She’s a mare of a lifetime’; she tries her heart out every single time for me. He couldn’t have said it better. She doesn’t want to touch a pole.

“She’s so intelligent. She knows when she’s after winning a class. She goes into the prize giving, she’s just prancing away, delighted with herself.

“If I go into a prize giving and she’s not first, I can barely ride her because she’s not happy at all. She loves to be at the top of the line, she loves her job, she loves jumping.

“I rarely jump her at home, only when I’m having a lesson at Brodericks’. They have been amazing to me this year, none of this would be possible without them. They are such a great support. I can’t explain it, because she is a different horse completely when she goes in to compete.

First to go

“In the 1.40m, I was first to go. I think that was the first time this year I was first to go in a jump-off.

“I had my plan, the course was full of turns, and that suited her, so I was happy. One to two was nice, and I jumped two at an angle to get a good turn back to three, but God, Cello really helped me out there. I was too deep to it and she just bunny-hopped over it, and I thought to myself okay, if she’s after doing that for me, I may as well go out and try and win the last one of the year. I got a lovely shot to the last fence and, yeah couldn’t believe it, we had posted a great time.

“She’ll go out for a break at home until the New Year, where Mom and Dad will spoil her rotten.

“After that, I’m not really sure. I would love to go to the Sunshine Tour in Spain. I think she would love it there and Greg (Broderick) is bringing a team out, but I don’t know yet, I’ll have to see with college.

“Longer term, I think there will be a few Premier Grands Prix on the cards, but I don’t want to chance my luck too hard, we’ll have to wait and see.”

A start list of 44 was quickly reduced to just six for the timed decider in the 1.40m class, which offered a prize fund of 3,000 euro.

Aside from the six clear rounds, two combinations collected a single time fault in round one, while 14 had one fence down for four faults, and a further three earned five faults.

Barry was first to go in the jump-off and set the pace with a superb clear in a time of 35.23. Second to go was young rider Robyn Moran aboard Vera Griffin’s gelding Cushlas Fryday (Hector Van D’Abdijhoeve x Apache D’Adriers), bred by John Peter Finlay. They had the time, stopping the clock at 34.28, but with one fence on the ground, they had to settle for eventual fifth place.

Hannah O’Shea riding Sandra Duffy’s mare Ardnacashel Coovella (Luidam x Harlequin Du Carel) were next. They left all the fences intact, breaking the finish beams in 36.32 for the runner-up spot.

Event rider Cathal Daniels and his own Cappog Tomy (Camiro De Haar Z x S Creevagh Ferro Ex Siebe), bred by Tommy Reilly, posted a fault-free round in 37.60 for third place, while Paul Beecher and Seryna Van Kuelen’s Dutch-bred gelding Glamstone (Berlin x Sydney) slotted into sixth place, having had one fence down in 38.49.

Last to go, Abby Morton riding Joanne Morton’s eight-year-old mare Blueoak Legaland (Diamant de Semilly x Clinton), bred by Joe Reilly, left all the fences up, but in a cautious 45.53 for fourth place.

1.35m

In the 1.35m class, a total of 64 went to post. Some 14 made it into the jump-off. Just five kept a clean sheet through the second round and Barry and Garryndruig Limoncello were fastest of these in 33.58 for the win.

Annabel Shields and her own Creevagh Carisma (Camino de Haar Z x Creevagh Duca di Clover) were runners-up in 34.56.

Third went to Jim O’Neill’s home-bred eight-year-old Castlefield Blue (Plot Blue x Puissance) in 35.42 with Sven Hadley in the irons.

Cavan’s own Camryn Clarke and his mother’s Conto De Reve (Hermes De Reve x Conto), bred by Noleen Kieran, took fourth place, while Robert Splaine riding his own and Story Horse Farm’s seven-year-old Coolcorron Lachlan (Goodluck VDL x Dicksgrove Colleen), bred by John O’Sullivan, were fifth.

Sven Hadley and his second mount Uidam (Luidam x Cavalier Royale), bred by Padraig Howley, completed the line-up in sixth.