DENIS Currie may be one of the more senior riders competing under Eventing Ireland rules but he proved himself and Arodstown Aramis fit and well for the season ahead when winning the Baileys Horse Feeds flexi-eventing league for the third time at The Meadows last Saturday.

Currie, who went into the seventh and final leg of the series on 67.5 points with his 17-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding, secured victory on 80 points thanks to his win in Saturday’s Intermediate dressage, his second-place finish in the Novice dressage, his clear over the 1m cross-country track – and his attendance.

A partner with the Hillsborough-based building and civil engineering contractor, Lilburn Contracts, Currie also has time to give back to his sport. He is a committee member of the Northern Region of Eventing Ireland, being responsible for arranging the event venues, and is also the Region’s representative on EI’s Dates Committee which organises the national calendar.

The Shannondale Sarco St Ghyvan gelding Ardostown Aramis was bred in Co Meath by Carole Douglas out of the Broussard mare, Rosetown Echo. The bay had a number of partners in his younger days including Jamie Nolan who competed with him at the 2015 European young riders’ eventing championships in Poland.

Two years later, Currie made his first affiliated appearance on Arodstown Aramis, in an EI100 (Amateur) class at Tyrella, and their win that day has been repeated many times since mainly at EI110 level, while they competed twice at the much-missed Tattersalls International.

Having achieved his early season target of once again winning the flexi-eventing series, Currie says he has no major plans for the campaign ahead. “I’ll just take it one day at a time and, at my time of day, I’m just delighted to keep going! I am, however, particularly looking forward to competing again at Necarne (where he had a rare reversal last year finishing second to Tori Dixon and Mawillan).”

Denis, who will be presented with his winner’s cheque and the Baileys Champion Trophy today at The Meadows by the feed company’s Irish representative, Judy Maxwell, continued: “I really appreiate being involved in a sport that not only has great camaraderie but is unique in that everyone can compete together irrespective of age and gender, allowing a granda of nine super grandkids to still have fun!”

Nikki Cullen and Gemstone Ruby at the Bailey Horse Feeds Flexi Eventing at The Meadows Equestrian Centre \ Tori O'Connor

Cullen close

In the overall league, Nikki Cullen finished in the reserve slot with her 10-year-old Rineen Clover mare, Gemstone Ruby (78 points). The bulk of the 13 points they picked up on Saturday were earned through double clears in both the 80cms and 90cms show jumping phases and their clear over the 80cms cross-country course.

Sophie Cowan placed third in the league on 73 points with her ISH mare Tempo Quickstep, a 10-year-old grey by Lougherne Quick Step. Fourth in Saturday’s Pre-Novice dressage, this Comber pairing helped their cause when going double clear in the 90cms show jumping and clear in the 90cms cross-country phase.

The league scores are compiled each week by Dora Beacom, event co-ordinator of the Northern Region, who, having placed the first five combinations easily enough on Saturday, had to consider results at the final leg itself when deciding on other money-earning placings in the top 15.

Four special awards will also be presented today at The Meadows with Shane McKeever being crowned leading Riding Club member following his fifth place finish on 66 points with KHS Impact. That 17-year-old Master Imp gelding wins the prize (£75), sash and rosette as the highest-placed traditionally bred Irish Sport Horse (See Pony Tales in page 107).

The highest-placed Pony Club member is Caoimhe Crozier, a member of the East Down Branch. She finished ninth in the league (63 points) with her mother Christine’s Hill Monarch on whom she won two EI90 classes from four starts last season. The 2015 Masurenfuerst gelding was bred by Wendy Findlay out of the Connemara mare Holiday Moonlight (by Derrigrath Robin).

Treo Eile, the organisation promoting the use of thoroughbreds, particularly ex-racehorses, in other equestrian disciplines, will present a cheque for €150 to the connections of Ballela To Milan who placed 11th in the league on 61.5 points under Banbridge’s Michael McGaffin (See View From Above, page 21).

A large team of The Meadows staff, organisers, officials and volunteers put in many hours of work to ensure that all seven legs of the series went ahead this year and they deserve much thanks and praise for their efforts each week.