THERE wasn’t a big entry last Sunday at Marlton, where the Eastern Region of Dressage Ireland concluded their season with the final leg of their 2024 yearlong league. The organisers also staged fancy dress competitions for juniors and seniors alike, special Christmas rosettes were presented plus there were mince pies and sweets for all.

Three of the graded league winners for 2024 were Philipa Teggin with her six-year-old Irish Draught mare Toberpatrick Peaches And Cream (Preliminary), Tanya English on her 14-year-old bay gelding The Bomeister (Novice) and Barbara Delahoyde (Advanced). The last-named, who led going into the final round with Marlton Scout, partnered the 21-year-old black mare to record an uncontested victory (65.01%) in Sunday’s Advanced Medium DI90 judged by Vanda Stewart (List 2).

Stewart also judged the FEI Prix St George where Jennifer Egan, who was runner-up in the Advanced league, saw off her sole rival when scoring 68.53 with Gabriël-Tetti, her 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding by Florencio.

Daphne Lush won the Elementary league and she, too, consolidated her position at the top of the standings when winning the four-runner BD53, judged by Lynne Cassidy (List 3), on her traditionally-bred Irish Sport Horse gelding Millpoint Carnival (68.68), a 14-year-old chesnut gelding by Millpoint Odin.

Three competitors recorded doubles on Sunday. Riding her 15-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare Enniskerry Trendy, a former Grade A show jumper by Tinaranas Inspector, Mary Fenelon Bourke topped the overall leaderboards in both Preliminary classes. She scored 70.89% in the DI5A judged by Stewart and 70.77 in the Cassidy-assessed DI6.

Stewart judged the two Medium classes and her winner of both the DI65 (on 65.94) and the M77 (on 69.29) was Evie Kennedy riding Hilary Cavanagh’s Cordobes XXXVI, a 21-year-old Pura Raza Espanol gelding by Jardon.

Five combinations appeared before Stewart in the Elementary DI52, where she awarded what was easily her highest score (75.83) to Siofra Pratt on her ISH mare Ballarin My Grace, an 11-year-old chesnut by Kings Master. This combination narrowly topped the overall leaderboard of Cassidy in the nine-runner Novice DI21, when achieving a score of 71.90. Cael Shanahan was a comfortable winner of the Stewart-judged DI27A with Eithne Scully’s six-year-old Anglo European Studbook-registered gelding Santana (74.31).

Cassidy awarded her highest score (76.76) in Sunday’s Trailblazers’ section to Mali Preston, who secured overall league honours when recording an uncontested victory in the Mini class on the 18-year-old Welsh gelding Bronllys Brigand.

This weekend

There are four Dressage Ireland shows scheduled this weekend, the sole Saturday fixture being the Northern Region’s Christmas show at Danescroft.

Following the cancellation of the leg at Gransha two weeks ago because of the weather, today’s show is now round three of the region’s Brass Stables UK and Ireland winter league.

Duffy’s Equestrian is the venue for the Midland and Western Region show tomorrow, when the North Munster Region holds the third leg of its winter league at Roscrea EC and the Leinster Region stages its Christmas show cum autumn/winter league final at CoilÓg.

The last DI show of 2024 takes place next Saturday at Ballindenisk, where the South Munster Region holds its winter championship and the third leg of its Childeric winter league. In addition, the organisers have advertised six HSI DAFM classes, four for horses and two for ponies.

All but one of the seven regions of DI have published fixture dates for the first few months of 2025, with the Leinster Region having booked dates and venues right through to next December.