CROSSGAR’s Seamus Rodgers, who rode in point-to-points when working locally for the McBratneys, won the Down Royal Racehorse to Riding Horse league final at Lessans Riding School and Stables outside Saintfield last Sunday on the Lahib gelding Jinnys Beaverlamb.

“Unfortunately, the weather was so dismal, cold and wet that no one wanted to hang around afterwards for the usual craic,” reported Seamus.

“Even my horse who is more than happy to be made a fuss of said ‘enough, I’m away to the box’ as he and everyone else just wanted to go home. It was such an anti-climax!”

Citing the dreaded weight as a reason for leaving racing, Seamus runs a small livery yard where Sunday’s winner is one of three ex-racehorses along with Yvonne Armstrong’s Sadler’s Wells gelding Giuliani who, with his owner up, was second in the open class on Sunday to the Jane Hobson-partnered home-bred Battlehill.

Seamus likes to give his horses as much variety as possible, so they do different things each day either at home or head off to the beach or out for a hack.

“Now that Jinnys Beaverlamb has won the league, she’ll do a bit of show jumping and then we’ll school her cross-country once there’s an ease in the ground. Horses will only keep going around in circles for so long before they become bored.”

The league champion, who was bred in Co Down by Denis McDonnell out of a Shernazar mare and was once in training with Barney Jones, belongs to Sharon Monaghan whose father Jim owns the Colin McBratney-trained hunter-chaser Carsonstown Boy.

The three judges, Hilary Gibson, Claire Forsythe and Lynn Tennis, placed the 10-time winner Arvika Ligeonniere in reserve under Co Meath’s Louise Duffy who barely made it in time for the class having been completely lost. The prizes were presented by Down Royal’s Molly McCluskey.

Other classes were held on the day and once again Kelly Kidd was called forward into the top slot in the retraining section with the 14-year-old Humbel gelding The Waffler.

Alison Bell partnered the 11-year-old Invincible Spirit gelding Eternal Spirit into second with event rider and young sport horse producer Johnny Mulligan filling in for sidelined owner Lela Purdy on Enemy Engagement who finished third.

In the class for unraced horses, Lyndsay McAllister won with Persian Blend, a nine-year-old Accordion mare, with Angela Hutchinson placing second on the 15-year-old Religiously mare Not Yet.