THE organisers and sponsors alike were delighted with the entry in the Treo Eile thoroughbred class in Wednesday’s second round of the Stepping Stones to Success league at Wexford Equestrian.

The riders ranged from local Pony Club members to international event riders, while the horses ranged from an unraced five-year-old mare and an unraced six-year-old full horse to older geldings with multiple Grade 1 wins to their credit.

Thirteen of the 15 entries performed their dressage test in the outdoor arena before the day’s judge, Faith Ponsonby, who has an interest in both thoroughbreds and sport horses. Her winner, on a penalty score of 26.5, was the Lawman gelding Wyett Earp, who jumped clear to claim the honours under Co Meath’s Elizabeth Power.

“This is a lovely little horse, a real little dude who does everything asked of him and is a quick learner,” said Power, who is riding the seven-year-old for Hayley O’Connor, a member of the international client relations team at Goffs. The bay failed to finish in the first four in eight outings on the flat and two over hurdles between mid-July 2019 and the end of November 2020 when trained by Tony Mullins.

Wyett Earp competed in two EI90 classes in 2022 when ridden by Alyssa O’Neill, while Power partnered him on the Jessica Harrington Racing team, which finished second in the Horse Racing Ireland/Treo Eile Thoroughbred Classic at Emerald Equestrian last December. “Hayley was meant to take over the ride again after that, but she’s pregnant so I’m going to event him to get some experience and mileage into him. We will be back here next Wednesday and for the final,” concluded Power.

The winners travelled down to Wexford Equestrian in the company of Kate Harrington and her Dublin racehorse to riding horse champion Sizing John, who also completed on their dressage score (26.8) to place second, while Sian Coleman finished third on Maryrose Cooney’s French-bred gelding Wow William, whose total of 34 included four jumping penalties.