TWO flat jockeys share the honours this week, one on either side of the Irish Sea. At home, Dylan Browne McMonagle rode a winner at the Curragh last Thursday week, one at Leopardstown on Sunday, another at Gowran on Monday and a fourth for the week back at the Curragh on Tuesday. Luke McAteer was on the mark at Dundalk last Friday and on Sunday at Leopardstown where Paddy McGettigan also visited the winner’s enclosure.

Under National Hunt rules, Sam Ewing recorded a double at Limerick on Sunday while there were single victories for Liam McKenna and Deckie Lavery last Thursday week at Thurles and for Simon Torrens at Limerick on Sunday.

Across the water, Oisin Orr matched Browne McMonagle’s four-timer in the period under review but did so by landing a treble at Newcastle last Friday evening and following that up with one win at the same track on Tuesday evening. Orr’s brother Conor also got in on the action when landing a winner at Wolverhampton on Saturday and Darragh Keenan partnered his 41st winner of the year in Britain at Brighton last Thursday week.

Over jumps, Danny McMenamin recorded a double last Thursday week at Carlisle and added to his season’s tally with a winner on Sunday at Sedgefield where Brian Hughes landed the opening maiden hurdle on the 1/3 shot Tree Top Tyson.

On the breeding front there were wins for the McCracken Farms-bred three-year-old filly Cala Bonita (Inns Of Court - Aalia, by Teofilo) at Dundalk last Friday evening and for the Danny Doran-bred five-year-old gelding Scorpio Rising (Jukebox Jury - Sixofone, by Tikkanen) at Perth on Tuesday.

To finish off, the colours of Pat Sloan were carried to victory on Sunday at Leopardstown by the Noel Meade-trained, Chris Hayes-ridden 16/1 shot Blake, a four-year-old gelding by Zoffany.

DISAPPOINTINGLY, only half of the six winners at last Saturday’s East Antrim point-to-point in Loughanmore carried an IRE suffix and just the one, Colvin, who landed the Move Right Therapy older geldings’ maiden by one and a half lengths, was bred locally.

Trained by Stuart Crawford, the six-year-old Yeats bay was bred by Peter Boyd out of the Craigsteel mare Catleen who won a point-to-point and scored twice over hurdles. Colvin previously ran in Boyd’s own colours but is now owned by Martin Johnson and Samuel McCullough, father and grandfather of winning rider Jack Johnson who was recording his first success on his second start.

The trio of owner Philip McBurney, trainer Gerald Quinn and rider Noel McParlan maintained their good start to the campaign by landing the previous winners of two with seasonal debutant Cadoudal Saint. The seven-year-old French-bred grey son of Saint Des Saints beat another locally-trained runner, Western Wishes, by half a length.

LAST Friday, the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) hosted its annual Awards Ceremony, recognising the accomplishments of its Further Education Equine students.

Family members, friends and invited guests gathered at Enniskillen Campus to celebrate the success of students who had completed full-time Level 2 Technical Certificates in Equine Care and Level 3 Advanced Technical Extended Diplomas in Equine Management. The event also recognised the achievements of part-time learners enrolled on Level 2 and Level 3 Apprenticeship and online learning programmes.

In his address, Paul McHenry, CAFRE Director, highlighted the importance of the College’s strong links with the equine and agriculture industries. He acknowledged the valuable partnerships that enhance both education and knowledge transfer at the campus and expressed his gratitude to all industry collaborators.

Senior lecturer, Shelley Stuart offered congratulations to all students, highlighting top achievers on the full-time programmes. Aine Cunningham from Newbliss, Co Monaghan, who completed the Level 3 Advanced Technical Extended Diploma in Equine Management, received four awards. Chloe Killeen from Claremorris, Co Mayo was recognised as the top student on the Level 2 Technical Certificate and received two awards.

This year the College was delighted to welcome John Cowper-Coles, the Master of the Worshipful Company of Farriers, to the event. John presented Paudie Lennon from Charleville, Co Cork with a medal in recognition of attaining highest marks on the Diploma of the Worshipful Company of Farriers International Programme.

Inspiring

Ruth Morrison, General Manager at Downpatrick Racecourse, delivered an inspiring and heartfelt address to students, sharing her journey through the equine industry.

Reflecting on her early life on the family farm, she recalled how she went from reluctantly riding ponies as a child to developing a love for driving tractors and ultimately earning her jockey’s licence at just 16. She spoke passionately about the importance of embracing opportunities and the value of travel in broadening one’s horizons. “Travelling offers opportunities to make valuable contacts,” she said, “and helps you learn more about yourself.”

Encouraging students to remain curious and committed to lifelong learning, Ruth added: “Today you’ve built a strong foundation of knowledge, but your real classroom will be in the field, the yard, or the racecourse. The world we live and work in is rapidly changing, and we must adapt to meet customer expectations, innovation, and sustainability demands.”

She concluded with a powerful message: “Work hard, gain respect, be humble, and develop curiosity.”

Students who complete Level 2 or Level 3 qualifications demonstrate the knowledge and practical skills needed to pursue careers in the equine sector. Level 3 graduates may also choose to continue their studies on Ulster University validated Foundation or Honours Degree programmes offered at CAFRE’s Enniskillen Campus.

If you are interested in an equine career, CAFRE offers Further Education courses for individuals with GCSE or equivalent qualifications, as well as Foundation and Honours Degree programmes for those with A-Level or equivalent qualifications. Course details are available at www.cafre.ac.uk. Applications are now open for courses starting in 2026.

IF you had taken my advice in early August and visited the Eventing Ireland Northern Region one-day event at Loughanmore, you would have seen a future world championship silver medallist in action.

Ridden and produced by south Co Dublin’s Ian Cassells, who was up and down the road to Tyrella on three occasions in early spring, the Irish Sport Horse gelding Rutland Flamenco finished second in the EI110 at the Dennison family’s popular venue. The bay, who was bred in Co Down by Eugene McEntee, filled the same position last Sunday in the CCI2*-L for six-year-olds at the FEI WBFSH Eventing World Breeding Championships for Young Horses at Le Lion d’Angers.

There was a Northern connection to the gold medal winner of the CCI3*-L for seven-year-olds as the ISH gelding Brookfield Danny de Muze, who was ridden by Britain’s Tom McEwen, was sourced as a four-year-old by former trainer Brian Lusk for his good clients John and Chloe Perry and Alison Swinburn. Horse Sport Ireland’s team manager for these championships was Co Antrim Level 3 coach and former 4* event rider Debbie Byrne, a regular attendee at the point-to-points in Loughanmore.

MAGHERAFELT’s Ryan Stewart, who showed the six-year-old Milan gelding Milanova to victory in the racehorse to riding horse championship at the Antrim agricultural show in Shane’s Castle in late July, has many strings to his bow.

He is particularly well-known on the show jumping circuit, can often be found competing in working hunter classes and also breaks, produces and deals in young horses. He has recently been recruited as a model for Doagh Equestrian, as has Ruby Cowan, and there are various videos of the pair modelling outfits for the company.

The pair are probably not as enthusiastic on the cat walk as Doagh Equestrian’s own Trevor McClelland - who knew you could get double value out of a doughnut dog bed by wearing it as a hat!