GUTTED to have picked up 20 cross-country jumping faults in the CCIJ2*-L at Millstreet last month on Cooley Diamond Dancer, Tom Nestor continues to dominate the Yeomanstown Stud EI110 (J) league with his father David’s Irish Sport Horse gelding.

The 16-year-old Co Kildare rider and the 11-year-old Jack Of Diamonds grey, who did plenty of show jumping before changing codes, have won all five EI110 (J) classes they have contested since the start of the season and comfortably top the league table on 60 points.

As well as competing Cooley Diamond Dancer, Nestor has been out twice this season on the amazing Freddie who has introduced so many young riders to eventing. The 18-year-old bay was first partnered by his sister Claire in EI90 (P) classes and, after a blip first time out, they finished second at both Hillcrest (2) and Rosanna (1).

Tom, who rode Freddie at the European Pony Championships in Strzegom, Poland, last August, was back in the saddle for the EI100 (J) classes at Clonmahon House and Ballindenisk (1), first winning then placing fourth.

Co Meath’s Amelia McCarthy lies second on 35 points with her mother Zazel’s Tillystown Girl, an eight-year-old grey mare by the Connemara stallion Sillogue Maximus. In the period under review, this combination finished second at Frankfort Stud (3) in early May and won, on their dressage score, at Rosanna (2) last month.

With her new ride for this season, the Dutch Warmblood mare Jerona HBC, who is owned by her mother Donna, Alex O’Hare currently occupies third place in this EI110 (J) league on 34 points having won at Hazeldene and Rosanna (1) in recent weeks. The nine-year-old Farfan M mare was previously campaigned in Britain by Jessica Campbell.

Izzy Barrett started the season in good form with BGS Mikado, amassing 22 points between the first two events of the season at Tyrella. Since then however, they have found it difficult to hit the top of the leaderboard and in the past few weeks, having only managed to pick up 10 points in total to lie second in the EI100 (J) league on 32.

Kate A. Walsh is on the same score with Clare Corballis’ 17-year-old chesnut gelding Lisheen Fork Lightning who added a win at Frankfort Stud last month to one earlier at Lisgarvan. However, the Co Tipperary rider is double-handed at this level and tops the league on 43 points with the Connemara pony Beechtree Watchful who is also owned by Corballis.

A 12-year-old gelding by Mirah’s Oyster Bandit, the grey only started eventing this season having previously been campaigned on the show jumping circuit by Melissa Joyce then Daniel and Jack Lynch. Last September, Walsh and Beechtree Watchful were members of the Tipperary Branch quartet who won the Intermediate team championship at the Connolly’s Red Mills finals in Tattersalls Ireland.