TIM MacDonagh won the five-year-old final of last year’s Berts Properties Starter Series with his Irish Sport Horse gelding CSF Hollypark Rocco Blue and the Craughwell producer now has this season’s Drumhowan Stud six and seven-year-old title in his sights, having won last Sunday’s first qualifier at Galway Equestrian.

While MacDonagh doesn’t compete under Eventing Ireland rules, he is a staunch supporter of the Western Region’s combined training and arena eventing competitions. After last year’s final, he and CSF Hollypark Rocco Blue qualified through the Young Eventhorse Series for the five-year-old young event horse championship at the Dublin Horse Show.