CSF Thomascourt Zena was named the Cavan Crystal Hotel five-year-old Champion at the Cavan Indoor Championships last Sunday.

Ridden by Vincent Byrne and owned by Annmarie Dunne, she is by Zirocco Blue VDL out of CSF Princess Doorn (Prince Des Vaux) and was bred by Patrick Connolly. The dam also produced the runner-up in the Hankook Final on Saturday night in CSF Andrew.

The duo were one of just four combinations that produced a triple clear round over the Stuart Clarke-designed 1.25m track from the 33 that qualified for the final.

Speaking to The Irish Field en route to Lanaken for the WBFSH World Breeding Championships for Young Horses, where he will ride his five-year-old National Championship winner Gone Girl VB for Ireland, Byrne said: “I don’t have her very long. The first show I rode her at was the Breeders’ Classic and she got into the final.

“She didn’t have much experience against the clock at that stage but I think she learned a lot that day; seeing as she came out and won in Cavan which was her next show.

"She’s a very careful mare and has been quite competitive, she won the qualifier on Friday as well.

“She has a big canter and is naturally quick. Around the turns I was able to keep moving forward and the fences just came up, I didn’t have to make too many adjustments,” he added of the mare who was previously ridden by her owner.

Competitive

Some 32 starters lined out for the competition. Four managed a triple clear round, five had one fence down in round three, while seven collected faults in the second round and 17 failed to progress beyond the first round.

Byrne was the fastest of the triple clears in a time of 35.13, over a second ahead of runner-up Brid Ryan aboard Eugene Ryan’s Olivia Brennan-bred mare GCS Jasmine (Cardento x Plot Blue) in 36.20.

Third went to Kelly Taggart riding her own and Sean Kelly’s Belgian-bred Symphonie AEG (Inaico VDL x Arezzo VDL) in 38.11.

Caitilin Taggart and her own Dutch-bred gelding Nahan DVH (Unaniem x Quicktime) took fourth place in 41.89, the last of the riders to produce three clear rounds.

Vincent Burton’s home-bred Drumrankin Dignity (Dignified Van’t Zorgvliet x Loughahoe Guy) was ridden into fifth by Olivia Roulston as the fastest of the four-falters.

Daren Hopkins completed the line-up taking sixth aboard Ballywalter Stables’ Belgian-bred Balmain D’Grandin Z (Balou Star x Colman).