Pegus Horse Feeds CCI3*-L

“I’M delighted with him, and it was great to pull it off,” declared Joseph Murphy after landing an emphatic victory in the Pegus Horse Feeds CCI3*-L.

Murphy and the syndicate-owned Choclat, led from the get go, and completing on a mark of 26.2, was a hefty nine marks ahead of their nearest rivals.

Building up a new team of horses takes time and patience, and in Choclat, Murphy feels he has a real championship contender. “We bought him from Michael Jung,” he explained. “I travelled over with Richard Ames, and although he wasn’t the horse we had originally planned to see, Michael was keen for me to try him.

“He had been to Le Lion d’Angers as a seven-year-old, and had competed in a few internationals with Michael’s student Pietro Grandis.” Both Murphy and Ames liked what they felt and saw under saddle, and having done the deal, the son of Contendro now runs in the joint ownership of Ames, together with Annette O’Callaghan and Alan Bell.

“The track here was a big galloping track that tested rideability and fitness, and really suited him,” Murphy added. Future plans are fluid, and while the pair competed in a long format three-star last autumn, there is no hurry to upgrade. “I won’t expose him yet. We have high expectations of him, so a four-star short could be the aim for the season.”

Breathing down Murphy’s neck from day one was Austin O’Connor with Lesley Rose’s smart Dutch- bred Isazsa. Only an eight-year-old and a long format debutante, the mare was very accomplished in the first two phases, and despite tipping two coloured rails on the final day, still retained her second spot.

Surprisingly, this was the Cork native’s first return to Ballindenisk for some 14 years. “It’s changed a bit!” he said with a laugh. “The arena was amazing and to be able to do the dressage and the show jumping on a surface was fantastic. The cross-country had plenty of questions, and it was a bit different to what we are used to in England, but that’s cross-country!”

Barrett in contention

Competing on level terms against the ‘big boys’ is an achievement in itself, so 18-year-old Emily Barrett can rightly feel proud to have filled third spot aboard her own mare BGS Mikado. The Co Wicklow rider, who was making her debut at the level, sourced the daughter of BGS Electric Line from Patrick Byrne as a five-year-old, and has produced her herself.

“When I arrived here, I was just hoping for a good weekend and everything going according to plan!” she said. “I couldn’t have asked more of her in the dressage, and she went better than I ever imagined she would.” Barrett, who works at Cooley Farms at the weekends and in the holidays, is helped by Luke Drea and Sarah Ennis, as the team at Cooley.

“Emily really deserves this,” said Luke Drea. “She puts so much work into it.” Kilguilkey International later in the summer is next on the agenda for this improving pair, but as the Leaving Cert looms, schoolwork is now the main priority.

While Michael Ryan had a good, if a little frustrating weekend, he will have been pleased to land fourth place with Nick Pomeroy’s Claragh Mountain. Posting one of just three completely clean sheets, Ryan held the advantage over Sarah Ennis who, in fifth spot, was also double clear aboard Stellor Quick Change.

Of the 11 contenders, nine galloped home clear in the country. Of the remaining duo, Ruth McDonald and Killoughey Clover Imp parted company at Sally’s corners (12abc), the same fence that handed an unlucky 20 penalties to Emma Newsum (Kilcooley Michael).