THERE were plenty of equestrian-related jump racing successes over the Christmas period, but we’ll start with two notable feats on the flat ahead of the Festival meetings.

First up, Sean D. Bowen, a former member of the Tipperary Branch of the Irish Pony Club, who was crowned champion apprentice in Britain for 2024, recorded a treble for three different trainers at Chelmsford in England on Thursday, December 19th.

The following day, Ward Union subscriber Gary Carroll made history when landing the 10-furlong handicap in Bahrain on the Lindsay Laroche-owned and bred Snellen. The 2021 Expert Eye filly, winner of the Listed Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2023, became the first Irish-trained horse to win in the Middle East country, when scoring for the Gavin Cromwell yard.

Now to the more usual Christmas fare, and to the Boxing Day meeting at Kempton, where Ronnie Bartlett’s Banbridge landed the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase (Grade 1) under Paul Townend.

This was an 11th career success for the 2016 Doyen gelding, who was bred by former show jumper Danielle McSorley and is trained by Joseph O’Brien.

When competing at the Treo Eile pre-Christmas show at Emerald Equestrian, the Co Kilkenny handler, rather reluctantly, admitted to Brendan McArdle that he had won an individual bronze medal at the 2009 European pony eventing championships in Belgium. O’Brien also saddled three winners from three runners at Thurles before Christmas, a winner at Limerick on St Stephen’s Day and two Grade 1 hurdle winners at Leopardstown.

Another former international event rider, Stuart Crawford sent out the four-year-old Milan gelding Kilwaughter to win the bumper at Down Royal’s Boxing Day meeting, while the Co Downs’ former huntsman Ian Donoghue won the earlier opportunity handicap hurdle at the same track with St Denis’s Well.

Five winners for Ewing

It’s probably fair to say that Sam Ewing failed to impress as a show jumper at that aforementioned pre-Christmas Treo Eile Show where, riding Brahma Bull, he captained the Gordon Elliott Racing team.

Hopefully, those who watched him over the coloured poles that evening had a few bob on him over the Christmas period as, back to his day job, Sam partnered five winners at Leopardstown, including three Grade 1 victors, and was placed on numerous occasions.

The former show pony and event rider, Rachael Blackmore, rode her first winner since her return from injury, when landing the Grade 3 mares’ hurdle at the Foxrock track last Sunday on the Henry de Bromhead-trained July Flower.

Winner of the 2021 Aintree Grand National, the 2021 and 2022 Champion Hurdle and the 2022 Cheltenham Gold Cup, Blackmore broke a bone high up in her neck in a fall at Downpatrick in September, but returned to the track at Naas on December 16th.

Dowley on the mend

Sitting trot is something Blackmore probably doesn’t have to do, but is the one thing international dressage rider Rachel Dowley finds impossible to do, as she continues to recover from the very serious back and neck injuries she suffered in mid-summer.

The Co Kilkenny rider took to social media this week, saying: “I’m ready to turn my back on 2024. There’s no round-up of great results or list of achievements here. Instead there’s enormous gratitude:

“For the medical team, who got me from spinal board to walking inside 10 days; for my physio, who’s continued the work! Swim, gym, stretch, repeat; for the best friends and family anyone could wish for; for great clients, who made it work and achieved inspiring results along the way; and for everyone who helped to keep the show on the road and gave me something to work towards.”