AT Tuesday’s conclusion of the 2024 Stepping Stones to Success league at Wexford Equestrian, the Childeric Saddles five-year-old league was won for the second year running by a horse owned by Eventing Ireland board member Richard Ames.

On this occasion, it was the Robbie Kearns-ridden ISH mare Belline Kilbunny Harmony, who came out on top with 27.5 points. Daniel Alderson finished second on Kate Lenihan’s ISH gelding Seafield Celt (22.5), with the very busy Patrick Whelan placing third and fourth on Tullibards Be The One (21) and Alwaysapphire (19).

Belline Kilbunny Harmony, who qualified for the four-year-old young event horse class at the Dublin Horse Show last August, was bred in Co Waterford by Richie O’Hara. The grey daughter of Herald 3 is out of the Flagmount King mare Baytona Beach, who picked up 39 Showjumping Ireland points, mainly as a four and five-year-old, before retiring to stud.

‘Lambs, bees, horses and trees!’ is the catchphrase of the Kinsella family to describe their sustainable farming enterprise in Crossabeg, Co Wexford.

We’re sure all four are important but, in this page, we are concentrating on the horses veterinary surgeon Ciara Kinsella rode on Tuesday and, in particular, the home-bred ISH gelding Tykillen Tango, winner of the Childeric Saddles five-year-old final on 221 points. The Tyson bay is out of the traditionally-bred Master Imp mare Lisdara Impish Lady, who is out of a mare by Clover Hill.

Cathal Daniels, who rode five horses as the Eventing Ireland season finally opened at Tyrella on Saturday and seven at CoilÓg on Sunday, made his way to Wexford Equestrian on Tuesday, when he had an easy day. He had three rides, all in this five-year-old class, where he finished second on his own CDS Chester (214.1), a son of Chello III.

Locally-based Patrick Whelan, who competed five horses at Crecora on Sunday, placed third with Hans Kuehnle’s Cormint mare Tullibards Be The One (212.9), while Robbie Kearns finished fourth on the league winner, Belline Kilbunny Harmony (211.7).