THERE was some excellent feedback from Britain’s Angela Tucker and Annabel Scrimgeour who judged the ridden display as the 2023 Young Event Horse Series (YES!) came to its conclusion at Rincoola on Tuesday.

Space restrictions mean we have room for just some snippets from Scrimgeour: “Nearly all (horses) were well prepared and the riders were trying to keep the necks open and were riding forward ...In walk, there was a tendency to push the tempo a little too quick which made it hard for the horses to stretch and relax with purpose in the free walk...

“...Most horses found the canter easier and I felt that several riders could have got higher marks by keeping the canter a little more forward – think have enough canter to jump an oxer! Basically slower, clearer but forward tempo in trot and slightly stronger but not faster tempo in canter!

“Having said that, I fully appreciate that they are young and green horses and it is about finding the balance between being competitive and allowing the horse to develop confidence, strength education for their future.”

The two RDS tickets on offer in Section A of the four year olds went to the winner and runner-up in the class viz Jason Doerflinger riding Liam Lynskey’s home-bred Irish Sport Horse gelding DS Are You Murchu (278.1 points), a grey by DS Are You With Me out of a Cruising For Chics mare, and Steven Smith on board Margaret Fullerton’s ISH mare TBS Callan Valley Cruise (274), a grey by Cormint out of a Cruising dam.

It was a similar story in Section B but here tickets were awarded to the trio who topped the final leaderboard. These were Robbie Kearns on Richard Ames’ ISH mare Belline Kilbunny Harmony (272.2), a grey by Herald 3 out of a Flagmount King mare; Alyssa O’Neill with Liam Lynskey’s home-bred ISH gelding DS Are You Tom (270.8), a grey by DS Are You With Me out of Cruising mare; and Dominic Furnell riding Robert Draper’s home-bred ISH gelding Brownstowns I’m A Starboy (266.4), a bay by Tyson out of a Sea Crest mare.

League result – 1, Maurice Coleman’s Kealanine Chief (Alex Donohoe), b g by Fruits Of Love – Kealanine Dreamer, by West Coast Cavalier, bd Richard O’Regan 24 points; 2, Roy Shields’s Rockrimmon Legacy (Emma Jackson) b m by Rockrimmon Senator – Rockrimmon Flying Solo, by Sir Shutterfly, bd owner 18; 3, Margaret Fullerton’s TBS Callan Valley Cruise (Steven Smith), gr m by Cormint – Mansfield Cruise, by Cruising, bd Vincent Burns 16; 4, Liam Liamskey’s DS Are You Murchu (Jason Doerflinger), gr g by DS Are You With Me – DS Murchus Chics, by Cruising For Chics, bd owner 14; 5, Lambertstown Stud’s LSL The Melody Maker (Emily MacMahon), b g by Sir Harry – Diamonds High, by Imperial Hights, bd Amelia Comiskey 12.