AT last weekend’s Eventing Ireland national championships at Kilguilkey House, there was a very close result in the non-restricted EI100 class where the top 10 on the final leaderboard all completed on their dressage scores.

The joint-leaders after the first phase on 29.3 penalties were Patricia Ryan on The Outlaw and Cathal Daniels with Tullibards Be The One, a five-year-old Cormint mare who was having her second start under Eventing Ireland rules.

Charlie Boardman was lying third on Belline Super Ted (29.5) while the only other sub 30-penalty score was recorded by Daniels on Tullibards Black Jack (29.8) who was making his third appearance.

All four completed on those marks and it required extra scrutiny by the scorers before Ryan and The Outlaw were declared the 2024 EI100 national champions.

The winning seven-year-old Killossery Klover gelding is owned by the rider’s husband, Michael Ryan, who bred the grey out of a Kasmayo mare.

He had five outings last season and was having his fourth start of the current campaign last weekend.

“He’s quite a big horse who was always going to take time and, when they are one of your own, they’re inclined to get put on the back boiler while you produce horses for other owners,” said Patricia who had just this one ride at Kilguilkey.

“He’s typical of this line too in that he was quite sharp as a young horse but has now settled down.

"Although he doesn’t look like an Irish horse, he has a great temperament and is an easy ride.

“While everything here is for sale, we wouldn’t mind holding on to this fellow. He’s probably finished for the season but will do a bit of show jumping over the winter,” said Ryan who was unaware of any issues to do with the cross-country time. “I just galloped away and it was a nice track to gallop away on!”

The show jumping phase wasn’t too much an issue in this class. One rider withdrew her horse after show jumping, one combination retired on the cross-country course where another was eliminated for jumping an incorrect fence.

Only two other horses incurred jumping penalties on the final leg.