THERE may have been a hint in their names as to how the Drynam dressage squads were going to celebrate following their first and third place finishes in the Association of Irish Riding Clubs North East Region team dressage qualifier last Saturday.

At the Cheval Showgrounds, Drynam Sauvignon claimed the top qualifying slot on 414.79, a total of percentages from two tests for three riders. The team comprised Stacy Forsyth (Granpas Grey Mist), Emma Fristedt (Coco Cobana), Naoise Traynor (Alcyon) and Fiona Cox (Dellrose Boy).

Riding Texas Surf, Drynam grading officer Forsyth was also on the third-placed (412.16) Drynam Merlot team, along with Laura Lynam (DMF Meadow Lane), safety officer Cathy Sayers (Alderbrook Maxima) and treasurer Nicola Barrett (Fred Showtime).

As at the show jumping qualifier here at Cheval, and in the Wildcard qualifier at the AIRC Festival in Mullingar, there was disappointment for Ashbrook, who were narrowly beaten into second on 414.68.

This was all the more so as the trophy presented to the winners of this team qualifier honours one of their former members, Mags Aughney. However, securing a place at the finals were secretary Mairead Dolan (Belpherhill Aint She Sweet), chairwoman Mags Brannigan (Robe Wonder), treasurer Helena Fitzgerald (Ballymacmague Swallow) and Jayne Kidd (Disclosure).

The Dressage Ireland judges on duty on Saturday were Vida Tansey (List 2), Bernie Webb (List 3a), Mairin Cassidy (List 4) and Jean Halpenny (List 4), whose assessments also produced the individual qualifiers for the Connolly’s Red Mills-sponsored finals, which are scheduled for Sunday, September 1st, in Mullingar.

Sinead Kenny, who was on the sixth-placed Castle Hill Navy team, topped the scores in the RCP1 on board her eight-year-old bay mare Shrue Lady (131.14). Drynam’s Laura Lynam and Emma Fristedt finished second and third respectively with DMF Meadow Lane (128.26) and Coco Cobana (127.73).

At RCP2 level, the team riders lost out to Thornton’s Leah Wigmore on the 17-year-old chesnut mare Jessie Jay (141.70), Greenhills’ Serena Alexander riding the Grade A show jumping mare Cheeky Blonde (140.68), a 14-year-old Cougar chesnut, and Boyneside’s Aisling Blakemore on her 16-year-old bay gelding Killytur Johnny (137.58).

Naoise Traynor and Alcyon in action at the AIRC North East Region team dressage qualifier at Cheval \ Lennox Photography

Win for Cassidy

Hardly anything happens in the North East Region that doesn’t feature Castle Hill’s Sarah Cassidy and her well-known cob Woodland Badger. On Saturday, Cassidy and the 24-year-old bay gelding, members of the fifth-placed Castle Hill Blue team, won the RCP3 on a total of 143.47. Gerry O’Byrne, who was on the fourth-placed Cheval team, slotted into second with his Connemara gelding Doon Finn (142.68), a nine-year-old Newbridge Lad grey, while Drynam’s Fiona Cox was third on her six-year-old skewbald gelding Dellrose Boy (142.46).

Representing the same club, Stacy Forsyth dominated the RCN, where she topped the final leaderboard with her Irish Sport Horse gelding Texas Surf (143.82), a Grange Merlin Surf eight-year-old, and finished third on her Irish Draught mare Granpas Grey Mist (139.92), a 10-year-old grey by Cow Pasture Lad. Ashbrook’s Helena Fitzgerald placed second on another ID mare, Ballymacmague Swallow, a 14-year-old bay daughter of Togher Lad.

There was a match for honours at RCE level between Ashbrook members Mairead Dolan and Lisa O’Brien. Riding her ISH mare Belpherhill Aint She Sweet, a seven-year-old bay by Sinatra, Dolan fared the better on this occasion when scoring 135.22, while O’Brien had to settle for second on 132.40 with her ISH gelding Wilderwood Chilled Porter, a 14-year-old gelding by Emperor Augustus.

After a hectic few weeks, inter-Club activities in the NER are easing off a bit this weekend, but are set to resume next Sunday, July 7th with the Border Counties Derby Day at the Cloncaw Equestrian Centre followed, seven days later, by the Castle Hill Show in the National Horse Sports Arena, Blanchardstown, where they are running dressage, showing and working hunter classes.