BRITAIN’s Izzi Kirk, who works with Kirsty Chabert at Team Opposition, marked her first competitive ride in Ireland and her first ride in an international by winning the Black Rainbow CCI1*-Intro at the Semalease Kilguilkey House International on Opposition Aquarius.

Kirk and the nine-year-old Utopian Opposition mare kept it simple by completing on their winning dressage mark (29), one of only two sub-30 penalty scores awarded by the ground jury of Ireland’s Joan Ahern and Paula Geiger. Niamh Verkade, another Carbury Pony Club member, was on 29.7 after dressage with Penny Lane WE but dropped to fifth with the addition of four show jumping penalties.

Co Waterford-based British international Daniel Anderson moved into the spot vacated by Verkade on Margaret Moore’s home-bred Irish Sport Horse mare Annestown Royal Blue (30.1) while his compatriot Laura Simpson climbed to third with the ISH gelding Guidam Roller (32.1), the 13-year-old Guidam Gold bay who she recently purchased from Alex Donohoe.

As with that pair, Carlow’s Martha Dolan completed on her dressage score (32.6) to finish fourth with Melanie Foot’s eight-year-old Arkle Cruise mare Quidams Liquidgold Cruiser (32.6) while another rider making her international debut, Kildare Pony Club member Sarah Smullen, partnered the very experienced Cloughreagh Charlie into sixth (33.8).

Two riders, Maya Constable on Duncarbery Cascade and Jack O’Haire with My Bright Spark were both eliminated for jumping the same incorrect fences on the cross-country course; Enda O’Gorman was eliminated when Fanion Libre refused three times at fence five where Ciara O’Neill retired Oxview Jasper after a stop. Fence five also proved to be a problem for Britain’s Laura Simpson with her first ride, Henry Higgins, but that was for leaving out the fifth fence in the show jumping ring.

“I’m second rider at Kirsty’s yard,” said 20-year-old Kirk. “I was over at Mallow last year with Kirsty as groom so it was fantastic to ride there myself. I had been riding Opposition Aquarius for about three years and when Kirsty decided to sell her, I bought her for myself. I’ve just stepped her up to Novice and want to get her established at that level but I’d like to do a two-star by the end of the year.”