MATTHEW Love, who was selected as a non-travelling reserve for the Irish team competing at this weekend’s European Junior eventing championships in Italy, displayed his skills on the home scene when winning the Yeomanstown Stud EI110 (J) championship at Kilguilkey House last Sunday.

Love went straight into the lead in this 19-runner competition when he and his father Mikey’s DSL Allegra were awarded a dressage score of 22.5 penalties on Saturday by Marion Slattery and Una O’Donnell. A pole down show jumping reduced their advantage but the Irish Sport Horse mare was foot-perfect on Sunday, rounding off her season with a win on a total of 26.5.

Tom Rowlatt-McCormick finished second, on his dressage score, with Clare Steele’s homebred ISH mare R Ballerina (28.7). One combination retired across the country while three were eliminated, and Jack O’Haire’s round on Via Victory frustratingly coming to a halt with a fall on the flat between fences 14 and 15.

Busy time ahead

DSL Allegra, a nine-year-old bay by Jack Of Diamonds, went out on her holidays during the week, while Matthew, who is in his final year at school, concentrates on his studies. The 17-year-old still has a year left in Juniors so he can look forward to a repeat bid at selection next season.

Before that, of course, he will be hoping to pick up a good few rides during the 2023/’24 point-to-point campaign which gets underway at Castletown-Geoghegan on Sunday, October 1st. We note that his grandmother, Dot Love, has already registered hunter certificates for three open horses.

Kate Walsh, who, with a fence down show jumping, finished third here on Clare Corballis’ Lisheen Fork Lightning (30.1), went on to win the EI100 (J) championship, on her dressage score, with the same owner’s Connemara gelding, Beechtree Watchful (28.4).

All 23 starters completed in this championship, the vast majority on their flat work marks. Maria Fuohy and Lucy Kerrigan, also posted sub-30 penalty finishes, the former on the ISH gelding Hillcrest Horizon (29.3) while Kerrigan slotted into third with the ISH mare Avalon Heatvale (29.9). Skyla Nally, who led after dressage on Jaxlexi (28.3) picked up four show jumping penalties and dropped to eighth.

Walsh has had a busy summer with Lisheen Fork Lightning and Beechtree Watchful, a 12-year-old grey by Mirah’s Oyster Bandit, as she mixed competing with Eventing Ireland and the Irish Pony Club and recorded some excellent results with both bodies.