AT last weekend’s Association of Irish Riding Clubs’ two-day Festival in the Mullingar Equestrian Centre, individual wins were mainly widely-spread among the Regions and clubs in the dressage section which was sponsored, as usual, by The Irish Field.

Those members who were contemplating entering the dressage classes in advance of the Festival were swayed towards doing so when it was announced that all tests would be performed on sand. One arena was erected in the indoor arena with three being laid out in the international sand arena, a lot fewer than was once the norm at Stradbally.

Clonlara’s Dawn O’Brien posted a good score of 75% when winning the RC Preliminary 1 on Saturday morning with her 12-year-old chesnut gelding Blondie Chap. The RC Preliminary 3 was contested 24 hours later when Annaharvey’s Matilda Falkede topped the final leaderboard on the Irish Sport Horse gelding Darrara Shanbeg (80.74), a 14-year-old bay son of VDL Arkansas.

The RC Novice was won by Kilcarrick’s Emma Dillon riding the traditionally-bred ISH gelding Thistletown Nordic Clover (72.04%), a 12-year-old Nordic Region bay out of the Clover Hill mare Clounlaheen Clover. On her dressage debut, Castle Carraig’s Katie O’Dea finished second here on LLS Inspired (70.37), a Lancelot seven-year-old with whom she was to later win the Frank Mangan memorial trophy as novice showing champion.

The senior riders’ class proved interesting. It was won by Abbeylands’ Susan Cahill on board her 11-year-old Diamond Valley Prince mare Bella Dona Diamond (75.91%) with Moyglare’s Edel King finishing second on the same score on her 23-year-old Hanoverian Warmblood gelding Don Quixota.

Festival regular, Friary’s Jackie Dow was third here on Juno Tintreach (75.68%) and she then partnered her Arab gelding, a 21-year-old grey by Prince Of Lightning, to victory in the RC Preliminary dressage to music class on a score of 78.50. A place further back in the senior riders’ class, Calliaghstown’s Louise Parkes topped the scores in the veteran horse class with her 19-year-old Connemara gelding West Joey (78.96), see Pony Tales on page 106.

There was a narrow victory in the RCN, RCE and RCM dressage to music class for Finland native, and Tara Hill member, Miia Ruuskanen on board Liisa Rantamaki’s ISH gelding Happy Gilmore (76%). This 13-year-old bay by Lux Z is out of Petingo Cavalier (by Cavalier Royale) who is dam also of the Warrenstown You 2 mare Cash Crisis (CCIO3*-NC).