LESLEY Jones’ excellent record in the Festival working hunter championship at the Northern Ireland Festival improved further last Sunday night in the Cavan Equestrian Centre although she wasn’t on board Yvonne Pearson’s traditional Irish Sport Horse gelding Cairnwood Redwood Guy when he took the title.

Jones did partner the nine-year-old when he qualified at Lusk Equestrian and earlier last Sunday when he topped the scores in the Festival horse working hunter 1.10m final. There, he finished ahead of Wexford’s Jessica Murphy riding her mother Melissa O’Connor Murphy’s French-bred gelding Darcy De Chanteloube who posted some great results in the pony classes and championships over the weekend.

Webb also qualified for the evening performance with Pearson’s near thoroughbred (91% blood) home-bred Woodview Firestarter, winner of the four-year-old final. By Grennan Fort, this bay ISH gelding is out of the Munther mare Kief Queen B, a prolific winner in the show ring. Second place in this class was filled by Co Meath’s Emily MacMahon riding the ISH gelding LSL The Melody Maker who is by the BES-registered Sir Harry.

In their bid to win the £1,000 prize, a choice had to be made by Jones who produces both horses for Pearson. “I decided to stay with the four-year-old,” she said, “so it was Andrea McKee who won the Festival working hunter horse championship on Cairnview Redwood Guy who then stood reserve in the supreme to the pony (Dartans Atom Man). Both horses are heading to Balmoral and will then have a couple of weeks in the field.”

Cairnview Redwood Guy was bred in Co Longford by Geraldine Quinn out of the Clover Hill mare Cairnview Clover Crystal. Also traditionally bred, but in Co Limerick by Olivia Hicks and Michael Bourke, was the Carraig Eibhir gelding Lackelly Star who beat one of the favourites, Ciaran Feldman’s KBF Paved With Stars, to win the 1m final and then stand reserve to Cairnview Redwood Guy in the Festival working hunter horse championship.

Out of the unraced Supreme Leader mare Marys Leader, Lackelly Star was ridden by 17-year-old Aisling Dwan whose only previous experience of showing came last year when she produced the 2017 Aintree Grand National winner One For Arthur (who was bred by her father John) to compete in racehorse to riding horse classes, including at the Dublin Horse Show.