Margie McLoone

LAST weekend was a good one all round for competitors from the Northern Region, the bulk of whom were greeted by yet another lovely September day at Knockany on Saturday.

Jenny and Harold Lusk were rewarded for staging the event when, for the second week running, their Edenderry won Section B of the Pre-Novice. The promising Dow Jones Courcel gelding was partnered by Colin Halliday who shares the cross-country course building duties at the Co Down venue with Harold.

The Tony McManmon-designed course took in extra land on Saturday and there are plans in the pipeline for future development, concentrating on a ‘play pen’ area for the centre’s garden eventing series. Once again, the track crossed the lane at an early stage and fence two, a railed hedge off the lane, caused problems in nearly all classes.

Action was halted during the pre-novice A section as the medical personnel attended to Kim Campbell who parted company from Slap In The Jazz at this fence. Thankfully, the rider was uninjured but, quite sore, had to tone down her birthday celebrations that night.

The birch roll at six on the pre-novice course wasn’t difficult to jump – if you remembered it in the first place, which quite a few riders managed not to.

There was much good natured wailing to the Society steward, Ronnie Beggs, about this from the younger brigade of eliminated riders all of whom were determined to undertake course walking more seriously in the future, i.e. less chatting! It wasn’t the only fence missed during the afternoon.

We heard a lot about whisky in the lead-up to the recent Scottish referendum but here it was the Irish version which featured at the ‘Small Bushmills’ barrel skinny, which formed the second element after the ditch and up bank at seven on the novice course, while the pre-novice level animals tackled the ‘Long Bushmills’ at 13.

If there was whiskey at these fences I didn’t see any but there was no missing the Honeyhill rosettes which decorated the parallel at nine.

Few of the remaining fences caused problems but there was a heavy fall for Adam Haugh and his new mount, Master Gold Touch, at 21, the three steps down to the water. The rider was fine after this spill but there were serious concerns for his Touchdown gelding. Happily, the injury to the 11-year-old wasn’t as severe as first thought and the prognosis was a lot brighter the following day.

As expected following the lengthy dry spell, the going was firm in places and also a bit rough in the area not long down in grass. However, there were very few withdrawals on that account. Stone chippings were laid where needed at take-offs and landings.

Aaron McCusker built the show jumping track, which he has done all season for the Region, but used the Lusks’ own fences in the sand arena. Jenny who, like Harold, was busy all day, was most disappointed to find out that the EI rules prevented Aaron from using her recently-purchased watertray.

The oxer middle element of the final treble was lowered with regularity.