THE most successful amateur event rider to date this season is Natasha Brotherton who has won three EI110 Amateur classes on Udo and a similar number of EI100 Amateur classes with Padraig Ina Sheasamh.

Based in Killaloe, Co Clare, Natasha was quickly into stride and won with both horses at Crecora (1) when the Eventing Ireland season finally got under way at the Furnell family’s Ballycahane Equestrian Centre on Saturday, July 4th.

In the four-runner higher graded class, Brotherton and the former Grade B show jumper Udo narrowly saw off the challenge of Sharon Power on SBS Freelance while Padraig Ina Sheasamh recorded a comfortable success in his class in which there were five starters.

Two weeks later, at Kilguilkey House (1), there were nine runners in the EI100 Amateur. The top four all completed on their dressage scores, with Brotherton and Padraig Ina Sheasamh narrowly holding off the challenge of John Fenton with Simply Complex. At Crecora (2), on August 2nd, she and her six-year-old Harlequin de Carel gelding finished ahead of the consistent, but luckless, pairing of Aoife Goodwin-Boers on Sherwater.

Having been eliminated at Kilguilkey House (1), Brotherton and Udo returned to winning ways at Crecora (2) where, again, Sharon Power and SBS Freelance had to settle for the runner-up slot, and the Co Clare combination put matters to right at Kilguilkey when easily overcoming three rivals there on Sunday, August 16th.

Now 19 years of age, Udo is a Dutch Warmblood gelding by Pacific. Padraig Ina Sheasamh, who has competed at Elementary level with Dressage Ireland, was bred in Co Tipperary by James Ryan out of the White Clover mare, Golden Church Girl.