BETTER known on the show jumping circuit, Kilmacow’s Zeta Roche has really taken to working hunter classes since learning of the Dublin Horse Show pony qualifiers, and won the Intermediate class at Mullingar last Wednesday week on her mother Maria’s Makes Me Smile.

“Show jumping is Zeta’s real passion, but she is a bit stuck at the moment as, having turned 15 in March, she is too old for Children on Horses and Makes Me Smile is only 157cm,” revealed Maria. “During the holidays, she helps out with Shane McKenna’s show horses, while she is coached by Vitaliy Halstyan.

“She has done some working hunter classes at Wexford Equestrian and some trial days at Ballinamona. She didn’t get on too well at Sceilig, so we are heading to Moira (on Thursday just past) and hopefully, if we fill our qualification criteria there, we won’t have to go to Killossery. Zeta was absolutely thrilled to win the other day and is going to enter two other classes at Dublin, the Intermediate show hunter and the older small hunter class.”

Roche junior and Makes Me Smile, a 10-year-old chesnut gelding with no recorded pedigree, won the Mullingar qualifier on a total of 103 points. Holly Maher finished second on Boulabeha’s Little Princess (95), the 13-year-old grey mare she has also been competing in 148cm show jumping qualifiers.

Co Antrim’s Eve Lindsay partnered the Connemara mare Kilcurry Gem (113 points) to win the 143cm class. This 13-year-old Gwennic De Goariva dun was bred by Margaret McCormack out of the Aran Flight mare Kilcurry Lady. The very much in-form pairing of Evie Kennedy and Little Dromin Phoenix qualified in second on 111.5.

There were 39 entries in that class and 42 in the 153cm class, which was won by another combination who have been winning with regularity recently, Katie Wyse and Claire Bannon’s Connemara gelding Clareville Codiac (103 points), who were also among the winners at Forth Mountain on Saturday. Second at Mullingar was Molly McCarthy riding the Dutch-bred Kyano van Orchids (97), a five-year-old she competes with Showjumping Ireland.