AN entry of just 138 is scant reward for the time, money and effort that goes into staging an Eventing Ireland-affiliated one-day, so one can only admire the pragmatism of Fiona O’Meara, event secretary for last Sunday’s event at Clyda.

“It’s not ideal having two events in the south of the country running over the same weekend,” commented O’Meara, referencing without naming Rosanna on Saturday. “The old way of having one in the north on a Saturday and one down south on a Sunday worked really well, but things have been a bit different over the last couple of years and especially this season with the weather.

“It wasn’t ideal Rosanna running up to 110 level but, then we thought, what would happen if we couldn’t run here and there was nowhere else for people to go, especially those looking for qualifications, so we decided that it was in the best interest of the sport to have the two events scheduled. We tried to do what we thought was the right thing, but it was to our detriment in the end.

“We were grateful for the entry we did get, which included Alex Houston coming all the way down from Co Antrim and Donnacha Anhold coming from his new yard in Co Roscommon and can just hope that we get a big entry for our event on September 1st.”

Typically, having worried about a rain-affected cancellation, David O’Meara and his team had to work late on Saturday night and again early the following morning to aggravate the ground, which had dried out considerably in the sun over the previous couple of days. Then, on Sunday, it turned so cold, people were wearing jackets over jackets!

EI115 (Open)

Gavin Smiddy won the seven-strong EI115 (Open) on his Irish Sport Horse gelding DSH Showtime, whose total of 33.3 included four cross-country time penalties.

The nine-year-old OBOS Quality gelding, who was bred in Co Limerick by Joseph O’Reilly out of the Master Imp mare Caherline Kitty, and is thus a full-brother to Claragh Olala (CCI4*-S), was having his first start since finishing 27th of 52 in the CCI3*-S at Millstreet last year. The owner/rider too, was last seen competing at Millstreet 2023, as he balances working as an audit senior at Deloitte Cork with his horses.

“It’s difficult doing both,” said Smiddy. “The horses have to be done early in the morning or when I get home from work in the evenings. The plan is to do the EI120 at Ballindenisk next weekend (tomorrow) and then the 3*-L at Kilguilkey. I’m getting coaching from Vitaliy Halstyan, who I find to be absolutely brilliant for all three phases.”

Sian Coleman led after dressage with MBF Touch Your Toes (27.1), who was previously campaigned in Britain, but dropped to second when picking up 7.6 cross-country time penalties for a total of 34.7. A pole down show jumping proved costly for Christopher Whyte on LadyCraft (36.3), who were home clear within the time across the country.

Hard to believe but, just two weeks after the EI115 at Hazeldene attracted a rare entry of just one, it was a similar case here, where Molly O’Neill recorded an uncontested victory with her ISH mare Muckridge Quick Step, a nine-year-old bay by OBOS Quality 004.

EI100

It didn’t take Meabh Bolger long to make her mark again on the Eventing Ireland circuit to which she returned in early May, following the birth of her daughter Lauren.

Making her third appearance of the season here at Clyda, Bolger landed the 24-runner EI100 with the Dutch Warmblood gelding Novastar, whose total of 27.7 included 0.4 of a cross-country time penalty. Sian Coleman, once again leading after dressage, dropped to second having had a pole down with the ISH mare Randalstown Prime Time (29), who was having her second start.

This should have been the case too with Novastar, but his introduction to affiliated eventing was cut short, when he made his debut last month at Kilguilkey, where he was lying fourth when the event was abandoned. The six-year-old chesnut is by Untouched out of Faymose MB (by Arezzo VDL).