THE second leg of the Starter Stakes league being run by the Western Region of Eventing Ireland was held last Sunday at the Clare Equestrian Centre in Doora where organisers and competitors alike received a wonderful welcome from Marie Burke and her team who are more accustomed to pure show jumping.
There were only five clear rounds in total between the four- and five-year-old horse classes but the five- and six-year-old ponies coped much better with the flowing course which incorporated show jumping and cross-country fences. It was disappointing that the entry was lower than the previous weekend but unconnected spectators were impressed by the competition and expressed an interest in taking part in the future.
Tommy Considine’s locally based Creevagh Stables had eight horses competing on the day and dominated the result of the Sligo Candy Boy four-year-old qualifier where they booked four tickets to the final by finishing first, third, fifth and sixth on a quartet of Irish Sport Horses.
Considine himself was on board two of the placed animals, completing on a score of 105.5 marks to finish third on the bay Shannondale Sarco St Ghyvan gelding Shannondale Cristof, who is owned by Sarah Hughes, and on 103.5, with the fifth-placed Creevaghstables DSH Nevada, a chesnut gelding by Olympic Lux.
The winner, who was ridden by Clarus Malyon, was the Noel Morris-bred Creevaghstables Stocktons Wing (109) who is by the ISH stallion Imperial Hights out of Danis Delight (by Ard Ohio). He was purchased as a three-year-old from Seamus Moloney. London native Malyon also finished sixth on the Colandro gelding Creevagstables Harry Hopscotch (103).
“Although we’d mainly be involved in show jumping, I like to produce at least one event horse each year and all of them are hunted as four-year-olds,” said Considine. “I had hoped to bring the eight to the first leg of the league in Claremorris but it clashed with a local charity ride with the Co Clare Foxhounds. My brother Paddy is the huntsman so I had to go to that!
“All of ours were a bit green on Sunday but they learned a lot. I plan on bringing six to Milchem on Sunday (tomorrow) as that is where the final will be held (Easter Monday, April 18th) and get them used to the place. I think this new series is a great idea, as there is little for event horse producers in the west, and we might aim a couple at the Young Eventhorse Series with a view to qualifying for Dublin.”
Hannah Gordon finished second in this Padraig Howley-sponsored class on the previously qualified ISH gelding Leothan Kurt (107.5), a grey by the Dutch Warmblood stallion Hans, while, with a fence down in the jumping phase, Godfrey Gibbons filled the fourth spot with the traditionally bred Bonitas Influence (105), a grey daughter of the thoroughbred sire Hit The Diff.
Wild Atlantic Candy
Gordon’s father Matt is joint-sponsor with Liam Lynskey of the Derryronane Stud five-year-old league and they combined to qualify for the final when finishing second with Lynskey’s ISH mare Caltra Secret Memory (108.5), a grey by the German-bred Holstein stallion DS Are You With Me.
Jayne Dutson, who was the flatwork judge for this qualifier, awarded her top marks for the day, 62.5, to Lorraine Kennedy’s Wild Atlantic Candy who, clear in the jumping phase, ran out a comfortable winner on 112.5.
Unsurprisingly, the bay, who did a small amount of registered jumping last year with Mary Ellen Rice, is by the ISH stallion Sligo Candy Boy and was bred by Kevin Duffy out of the Cointreau Z mare Atlantic Harper.
Godfrey Gibbons booked another qualifying ticket when third on his mother Marie Dunne’s traditionally bred mare Musical Dawn (107), a bay by Musical Pursuit, while on 106 marks apiece, Clarus Malyon and Matt Gordon qualified in fourth and fifth with Shannondale Conor and Sirius Rogue respectively.
It was good to see three of the four entries in the P.J. Gilligan Racing/Dunlop Sporthorses-sponsored Treo Eile class for thoroughbreds finish with their full complement of 50 jumping marks.
The top spot was occupied by Tessa Nielsen and Smog (105) while Ugne Liukineviciute improved a place from week one to finish second on Sandor (101.5), a 16-year-old British-bred gelding by Fantastic Light.
Off the pace after dressage but clear in the jumping phase, Alannah Behan placed third on Minot Street, a 12-year-old Canadian-bred gelding by Van Nistelrooy.
Smog, a 15-year-old grey gelding by Verglas, was bred in Co Kildare by Airlie Stud out of the winning French-bred mare Dollysister (by Alydar).
He was trained in Britain by Brian Meehan but had a short career on the track, running just four times as a two-year-old and having his final start at Wolverhampton in September 2009. As a member of Burren, Nielsen has competed in riding club activities on Smog.
Victory for Field
Lara Field, who had qualified in third place at Claremorris on Creganna Milady, partnered her mother Marjorie Hardiman’s home-bred ISH mare to victory on 109 marks in the Milchem Equestrian Centre five- and six-year-old pony class. The 2017 bay, who has 68 Show Jumping Ireland points, is by Selle Français stallion Koro d’Or out of the Connemara mare Prospect Suzy (by Tulira Robuck).
The pure-bred Connemara Kyle Ace (104.5), a five-year-old gelding by Shannon Prince who has 26 SJI points, finished second under Zoe Quinn.
The third-place ticket went to the Deirdre Cronin-partnered Connemara Ardsbeg Buddy (104), Victoria Darcy qualified in fourth on the 138cms gelding Foxview Baby Cruise (102.5), Sinead Burke finished fifth on the ISH gelding Ardfry Mystery (102) while the final ticket on offer went to Emily Quinn and the ISH gelding Cool Heritage (101.5).