KIRSTY Dobie had a very successful 2019 eventing campaign on Poynstown Cubby and more or less mirrored that achievement this season with her 12-year-old Mermus R gelding.

Again having just the four starts, the Carlow-based combination started off with a second-place finish in the EI100 Amateur at Frankfort Stud (1). They then upgraded and finished third and second at Blackstairs and Frankfort Stud (2) respectively before signing off with a comfortable win in the EI110 Amateur at Annaharvey.

“That was a bittersweet success,” said England-born Dobie, “as my son, Jude (Donohue), is going to take over the reins on Cubby next year and have a go at Juniors. He has come so far from the four-year-old we bought at Goresbridge who couldn’t turn left and I couldn’t wish for a better ride. Cubby really is a cross-country machine and absolutely loves it. He’s always looking for the next set of flags and is so clean and careful. He struggled a bit to settle in dressage with the introduction of medium work but, once it clicked, he seemed to really enjoy it.

“I have a Luidam three-year-old we bred who I will be concentrating on over the winter. I show jumped his mother and am really excited about seeing what he’s got. He has an amazing jump but is still quite weak as he was a late foal so we’ll just take things slowly.

“My daughter, Isobella, joined Eventing Ireland this year, finishing seventh, second and third in EI100 (P) classes on Casper’s Midnight Dream. Sadly, we are now preparing to say goodbye to him. He is a cross-country legend and I never had to worry about the children coming home; in all his events, he never had a problem across the country.

“It became quite challenging trying to get three of us out eventing together and even getting the entries in on a Monday morning proved difficult! I think that lockdown was actually good for us as we did lots of relaxed schooling without the pressure of competing. I got to concentrate on small problems that I wouldn’t always have time to address when competing each week.”

Good form

Co Clare-based Niamh Tottenham, who featured in the early season amateur eventing report, maintained her good form throughout the shortened 2020 campaign.

She won the seven-strong EI110 Amateur class at Grove on Sunday, September 20th with her seven-year-old home-bred Porsch gelding Slieve Callan Alpha while, earlier that same month, she had struck at EI90 Amateur level at Lisgarvan House (2) on Fortmoy Queen Bee. This five-year-old Watermill Swatch mare competed five times, winning twice and placing third on three occasions.

Aoife Goodwin-Boers also had a busy season, but with just the one horse, the home-bred Sherwater, finishing third behind Tottenham and Slieve Callan Alpha at Grove. She and the 12-year-old Jack Of Diamonds gelding competed nine times in total – thrice at CCI1*-Intro level – and, following early season placings in EI100 Amateur company, recorded a win in the three-runner EI110 Amateur class at Hillcrest (2) at the start of this month.