SCARVA’s Suzanne Hagan headed off to this week’s Kilguilkey international horse trials on the back of three wins from three rides having added success on Karolita O in the EI110 at Tullymurry last Saturday to her double of victories at Ballindenisk six days earlier.

Hagan established a clear early lead in this 19-runner class as she comfortably topped Vanda Stewart’s leaderboard on 25.8 penalties with her nearest challenger being Jonny Steele on Kinetic Blue (31.3) who was to drop out of the reckoning when lowering two show jumping fences and picking up another eight penalties for time across the country.

Hagan and Karolita O also fell foul of the clock on the final phase to complete on a total of 32.6. This still left them well ahead of Michael McGaffin, who was having just his second outing of the season, and Caseys Cross (36.5) and Emily Corbett riding RF Kruizer (39.8) who both finished on their first phase scores. Corbett did likewise on Tyrella Delboy (42.5) to place fifth, behind Sarah Ennis and LEB Rebelle (40.3) who lost out on second place with 4.8 cross-country time penalties.

A Dutch Warmblood mare by Firestone, Karolita O is owned by Anne Magee and Jane Hancock who, unfortunately, weren’t present to see their chesnut eight-year-old have her first start since Tyrella (3) in April. The mare’s absence was explained by Hagan.

“She popped up a wee splint in the early summer so we just gave her the time off until it settled. We all think an awful lot of her and wanted to make sure she was just right, which she proved here that she was!

“Fair play to the Tullymurry team for running another event at short notice,” continued Hagan. “The ground held up well despite all the recent rain. I just kept in a rhythm and took my time around the corners so we got a few time faults which didn’t matter as she was well in front with her dressage. Their new sand was lovely to jump off, very springy. The plan is to get the mare up to three-star before the end of the year.”

As reported last Saturday, Hagan is only recently back competing having broken two bones in her hand five weeks ago. Husband Jonny, who last competed himself in mid August 2021, kept Suzanne’s horses going for her.

Amateur jockey Toni Quail, who completed on her dressage score with her Irish Sport Horse mare Wellan Summertime (34 penalties) in the five-runner EI110 (Open), finished second for the fourth time in succession. Here she was beaten by Joseph Murphy on Sarah Hughes’s Dutch Warmblood gelding Alcatraz whose total of 30.5 included 5.2 cross-country time penalties.

On his previous two starts, the 18-year-old Cartier VD Heffinck gelding was partnered by Eventing Ireland’s youth ambassador Molly O’Connor, who first learned to ride at Tullymurry in September 2017 and is competing at the European pony eventing championships in France this weekend.

“Molly will take back the ride once the Europeans are over,” said Murphy who further commented: “I will train her on him for Juniors for the rest of the season with the aim of making the Junior team next year but Sarah maintains ownership. Her horses are going well as I was second with Shannondale Connor in the EI100 while Ralph (Robinson) won the metre training class on Shannondale Cristof.”