Margie McLoone

A WEEKEND double for Lisburn agent Harold Lusk was initiated in section A of the pre-novice by the Colin Halliday-ridden Edenderry who completed on his dressage score of 27.

Fourth on his debut in an intro class at Kircubbin, the six-year-old Dow Jones Courcel gelding then finished seventh of 35 at Scarvagh where he had a pole down show jumping. The promising bay, who was bred in Co Kildare by Mary Keenan, is out of Sweep River Queen (by Clover Warrior) who was out of a mare by the thoroughbred Sweet Con.

Katy McKenzie and the seven-year-old mare Beltrim Full Moon improved a place from Scarvagh to finish second (29) while four cross-country time penalties proved costly for Sarah Ennis with Stellor Hotshot who led after dressage (25) but dropped the third.

The Batterstown rider bounced back to land Section B with her sister Niamh Tottenham’s Fortmoy Cushla who she was competing for the first time under EI rules.

The five-year-old French Buffet gelding, who finished third in the Future Event Horse League and fourth in his young event horse class at Dublin, was bred in Co Tipperary by Margaret Deasy out of a Cloughjordan Boy mare.

McKenzie once again had to be content with second place although she and Domecq completed on the same score (30.5) as the winners. Gina Johnson’s home-bred Jimble gelding is returning to the form he displayed as a youngster.

Fence seven, a rolltop close to the boundary of the lorry-park, saw the elimination of three riders. Two them, Hazel English (Coloured Clough Girl) and Declan Cullen (Seavaghan Ash), forgot to jump it while another, Shelley Boyle (Bud), received outside assistance in its vicinity.

PENALTIES

Michael Boyd and the smashing Connemara Ballyalt Comet, who were going for a hat trick of victories, lost their hold on the intro class when adding four show jumping penalties to their winning flatwork mark of 19.5. This at least lessened the blow of Boyd learning that he had jumped the wrong fence 13 (a log out of the trees) on the final leg.

Availing most of the opportunity presented was Lucca Stubington who ended the day on her first phase score of 22.5 with her mother Georgia’s Ballinabuoy Adventure.

The tall Carrick Diamond Lad gelding was bred in Co Tyrone by Jill Woods out of her Soudno mare Air Display, a half-sister to Loughton Pearl (by Cruising) who Mark Kyle rode in the CIC*** at Blair Castle last month. This is also the family of the Grade B mare Erkina Heather (by Puissance).

The experienced Eric Pele, who is holding a two-phase event at Lisbane Farm at the end of the month, managed to omit fence 15, the log drop, with Ballymurphy on whom he could have finished fourth. Expect large fence numbers and directional signs at his Saintfield event!