LIVING between Ennis and Miltown Malbay in Co Clare, Niamh Tottenham is rather restricted in the venues she can travel to and from in one day which would explain why, in spite of having two horses on the go, she has only competed six times this season.

However, the mother of two has a 50% strike rate, winning amateur classes at EI100 and EI110 level at Ballindenisk (1) and Punchestown with her seven-year-old home-bred Porsch gelding Slieve Callan Alpha (who is out of the Courage II mare GI Miz Minx) and landing an open EI90 class at Crecora (2) on Fortmoy Queen Bee.

This five-year-old Watermill Swatch mare, who was bred by Marie Deasy out of Fortmoy Shinawill (by Garraun Zidane), was having just her second start that day and took the honours despite a fence down show jumping.

“We’re a bit off the beaten track alright!” said Howth-born Niamh (a sister of Sarah and Nicola Ennis) who works on the family’s organic farm while her husband, George, works off the farm in the wind energy sector. “I’m lucky that we’re not too far from two good show jumping venues while I’ve also joined the Burren Riding Club which I very much enjoy. I was delighted with my mare, and myself, when winning that EI90 class at Crecora as it’s good to test yourself against the top riders.”

Another amateur rider to have recorded a double this season is Tipperary’s Rosemary Nesbitt (sister of professional rider Fergal) who, on her dressage score, landed the EI100 Amateur classes at Crecora (1) and Kilquilkey House (1). Rosemary rode the 16-year-old Vechta gelding Mougins who was bred in Co Kildare by Catherine Doyle. He is out of the Flagmount Diamond mare Ard Flo who retired to stud with 145 Showjumping Ireland points.

At both venues, Nesbitt finished immediately in front of Co Limerick’s Aoife Goodwin-Boers who, riding her 12-year-old Jack Of Diamonds (SWB) gelding Sherwater, also filled the runner-up slot in the EI100 Amateur at Crecora (2) behind Natasha Brotherton on Padraig Ina Seasamh.

Connemara winner

Three amateur riders competing at EI90 level have recorded doubles this season starting with Dunboyne’s Yvonne Gavin who, on the first day of the season, comfortably won the five-runner EI90 Amateur class at Lisgarvan (1) and followed that up by recording a wide-margin victory in the three-runner class at Frankfort Stud (1).

Coached by Sarah Ennis, who she also supports as an owner, Gavin landed those two classes on her Connemara gelding, Lusmagh Derby. The 10-year-old by Laerkens Cascade Dawn was bred in Co Offaly by Aidan Larkin out of his Burren Rocket mare, Lusmagh Sunset.

The very consistent pairing of Natasha Mitchell and her 10-year-old skewbald mare Wolf Bitz have won on two of their five EI90 Amateur starts this season.

In the nine-runner class at Crecora (1), Mitchell and her daughter of Cavalier Two For Joy had two penalty points to spare over Killian Gaffney on Coretto. Six weeks later at Kilguilkey House, where they had only four opponents, they had nearly six points in hand over Fiona Coughlan and Kenley Diamond. Wolf Bitz was bred in Co Louth by Sean Carter out of the Dock Leaf mare, Moygrehan Daisy.

Co Wicklow’s Tanya Lock rounded off the 2019 season by partnering her Connemara mare Rathcline Moonlight Girl (aka Suki) into the reserve slot in the EI90 Amateur National Championship at Kilguilkey House behind Natasha Brotherton and Padraig Ina Sheasamh.

Prior to that, Lock and her dun daughter of Moonlight Silver Shadow, who she purchased as a three-year-old, had won at Clyda and Lisgarvan House and, from three starts this term, they have already notched up a similar number of victories at Frankfort Stud (1) and Punchestown.

In the first instance, Lock had more than three penalty points in hand over Jodi Cox riding the 10-year-old black mare Onyx while, at Punchestown, she recorded a comfortable victory over Ann O’Dowd and the 17-year-old FCD Touch Of Class who were making their seasonal debuts. Jeanie Curtis finished third at the Co Kildare venue on the Tara Flight gelding Buddy Holly who is now 21 years of age.

Rathcline Moonlight Girl was bred by Maurice Kearns out of the Coosheen Thyme mare, Coriander.