DERMOTT Lennnon began his campaign in Cavan last weekend as he meant to go on, with a win in the 1.40m WKD jump-off Challenge on Friday afternoon.

A large field of 65 combinations lined out for the class which offered a prize fund of €3,000. Just 15 of the starters managed to produce a clear first round within the time to progress to the timed jump-off.

Four of the 15 through saw their chances disappear when they failed to produce a second clear round, and time became the deciding factor for the other 11 combinations.

Lennon and his own eight-year-old Anthem In My Heart used his advantage as second last to go to study the riders before him. Armed with the knowledge of exactly what he had to do to win, he guided his mount to a foot-perfect clear in 38.14 to secure first place.

Jonathan Smyth and Noletta Smyth and Roy Craig’s Mulvin Lui came closest to catching them when they stopped the clock at 38.23 for second place.

Britain’s Annabel Shield, riding her own Dutch-bred gelding Wet Wet Wet, slotted into third in 39.05. Lisa Rosbotham’s Lotus Van’t Nachtgalehof was ridden to fourth by Nicole Kershaw, while Angela Waras and Hugh Ward’s Diamant De La Mer (Diamant De Semilly x Eurocommerce Berlin) took fifth. Nicholas Butler and Ladycastle Paco (Pacino x Nabab de Reve) completed the line up in sixth.

Barry has the Power

Aimee Barry was the victor in Sunday’s 1.30m Power & Speed, sponsored to the tune of €2,000 by the Farnham Arms Hotel. Some 80 starters lined out for the class and 29 of those were clear in both phases. Barry was 24th to go and posted the winning time of 27.06 seconds in the second phase aboard Joe Barry’s Garryndruig Limoncello, a nine-year-old mare by Amaretto Darco out of the Cruising mare Garryndruig Cruising and bred by Geri McGeoghan-Santry.

Cian Harrison slotted into second place with his own 17-year-old gelding Tabby (Captain Clover x Cruising) in a time of 28.03, ahead of Lt James Whyte in third with the Minister for Defence’s Carrigoran (Chippison x Coille Mor Villa) in 28.96. Tatianna Ormiston (DBS Looks Royale) placed fourth, while Cian Harrison (Florida Springs) was also fifth and Aisling McGuinness (Kilderrys Joint Venture) completed the top six.