THERE were a few raiders from outside the North Eastern Region at Killossery Riding Club’s spring show at Killossery Lodge Stud last Sunday and three of them struck in the show jumping section, which was sponsored by Thornton Park Sport Horses.

Two represented the Killcarrick club, and the father and daughter duo of Fergus and Lucy Maughan rode the same Irish Sport Horse mare, Fly Over Girl, to victory in the RC80 and the RC110 respectively. Meath’s Julie Anne Prenderville claimed the honours in the RC100 on board her ISH gelding Mr Grange Benjamin, a 19-year-old grey by Grange Bouncer.

Back to Fly Over Girl, who is a 14-year-old daughter of the Connemara stallion Matchmaker’s Lad. She previously competed under the name Cuffestown Flyover Lady, but when the Maughans looked for an FEI passport for the mare, they declined ‘an offer’ to pay for the name change that a previous owner had made and so reverted to the original.

“I didn’t ride for about 30 years until I joined Killcarrick two years ago,” revealed Fergus, who is a lecturer in electronic engineering at TU Dubin. “My big aim is to move up to 90cm with the mare.” Lucy, a fifth year pupil at St Wolstan’s in Celbridge, has more ambitious plans, as she hopes to event Fly Over Girl at EI110 level. However, she may have her work cut out just to start, as we noticed that it was her brother Jamie, who gave the grey her first Eventing Ireland outing of the year when finishing fifth of 17 in the EI90 at Crecora on April 21st.

May is set to be a busy month in the North Eastern Region. Tomorrow, the Ashbrook club holds their Derby Day at Killossery; the regional RDS team show jumping qualifier takes place at the Cheval grounds tomorrow week; Ard Lú stage their summer show at Piperstown on Sunday, May 19th, and the Kilronan club’s summer show is scheduled for their home ground close to Dublin Airport seven days later.