FOUR horses completed on their dressage scores in the Bucas CICYH1* for six-year-olds at last weekend’s Camphire International Horse Trials, the first three in the final placings and the Victoria Clarke-ridden Carrickview Flamenco who was always fighting a losing cause after the first phase.

Sunday morning’s show jumping had its effect on the result with four of the top 10 combinations after dressage losing their places. One of these, Ireland’s Aoife Clark with Celus d’Ermac Z then picked up 50 penalties having ‘jumped outside flag’ at the troublesome ‘Roller’ fence at seven across the country.

Katie O’Sullivan, who had just the one ride at the event, led throughout to win on Cooley Farm’s easily identifiable Balou du Rouet gelding AKD Cooley Lockdown (33.8). The dark bay gelding has never been out of the first six in nine starts this season at EI100 and one-star level, winning five times.

AKD Cooley Lockdown was bred in Co Armagh by Anna Dillon and is the first foal out of the 2007 Puissance mare AKD Possession.

Including the four-year-old Masterclass, Michael Ryan had eight rides last weekend, three in this class alone. His highest-placed mount was the runner-up, Go For Gold graduate Briarhill Marco (36.1), Carol and Tom Henry’s Mermus R gelding who was also second in the CIC1* at Kilguilkey.

Seventh in that earlier event, the Sarah Ennis-owed and ridden Cooley Cosmopolitan Diamond improved into third place last weekend as the Canturo gelding completed on his flat work mark of 38.7.

Connections of the first three are hoping their six-year-olds are selected for world championships for young event horses at Le Lion d’Angers at the end of the season.