TIM MacDonagh competed eight horses during the Eventing Ireland Western Region Berts Properties starter series, which concluded at the Milchem Equestrian Centre on Easter Monday.

The Craughwell rider, who is mainly involved in show jumping, brought four horses to the finals, where he won the Derryronane Stud five-year-old class by a near 10-point margin on the Irish Sport Horse gelding CSF Hollypark Rocco Blue (178.7 marks).

With four jumping penalties apiece, Aoife McCabe finished second with her ISH gelding Air Mail (169.1), a grey son of Cobra 18, who has done a small amount of registered jumping, while Grainne Davoren was third on Geraldine Duffy’s home-bred ISH gelding Otis.

Davoren and this son of Diamond Roller, who were judged winners of the final’s Sea Warrior sea supplements best turned-out award, had been in action also the previous day, when they qualified for the 90cm working hunter final at the Northern Ireland Festival in Cavan (April 26th to 28th).

Co Meath’s Caroline Lynch led after the Amanda Goldsbury-judged dressage phase with her ISH gelding DS Bouncer 007 (61.1), but they had an off-day in the jumping phase and eventually finished fifth on 161.6.

Five combinations were clear in the jumping phase for 50 marks each, while Cooley Farms’ Richard Sheane awarded his top performance scores to MacDonagh on CSF Hollypark Rocco Blue (69.5) and regional PRO Hannah Gordon riding DS Hashtag 32 (65.5), who had a disappointing flat work mark and a pole down to finish 10th (156.9).

Super series

“We bought this fellow as a foal from his breeder, Patrick Connolly,” MacDonagh told the Irish Horse World. “He’s by Zirocco Blue (VDL) out of CSF Roys Revel, who’s by Quidam de Revel. We’ll aim him now at the young horse classes for both show jumping and eventing. I have a few Irish Draughts for the performance qualifiers as well and plenty of show jumpers coming through.

“I think this is a super series to get horses out competing and my horses have turned inside out since they started – they get brave and go forward more. Even doing dressage in an arena is good for them all, no matter which route they are going.”

The class was sponsored by Liam Lynskey and Matt Gordon, who were both present on the day. Disappointingly, there was no Traditional Irish-bred horse in the 13-runner class.