Connolly’s Red Mills EI 120 championship

IAN Cassells has enjoyed an excellent season with his string of horses, five of whom competed at last weekend’s Horse Sport Ireland Eventing Ireland National Championships in Lisgarvan which he left with two titles to his credit.

The Newcastle, Co Dublin-based rider won the Connolly’s Red Mills EI120 championship with Woodendfarm Jack O D on whom he had been lying second (33.8) following the first day’s dressage and show jumping behind Gerald Bloomer and DSL The Entertainer (32). Although two seconds over the time across the country on Sunday, Cassells was a lot faster than Bloomer who dropped to fifth with the addition of 7.6 time penalties.

As Cassells completed on 34.6 to win with Woodendfarm Jack O D, behind him three combinations finished on the dressage scores they were awarded by Joan Aherne and John Lyttle – Jodie O’Keeffe with Reenmore Duke (35.5), Gillian Beale King riding Rebeliant (37.2) and Cathal Daniels on the European Championships-bound LEB Lias Jewel (37.5).

An eight-year-old gelding by the Swedish Warmblood stallion Jack Of Diamonds, Woodendfarm Jack O D started the season with two wins at EI115 level at Rosanna and Grove. He finished sixth in the CCI3*-S at the second international at Kilguilkey House and, prior to Lisgarvan, was third in the EI120 back at Kilguilkey behind his stable-companion, Kellys Quality, and the Joseph Murphy-ridden Gorsehill Pearl who subsequently finished 12th at Bicton (CCI5*-L).

“I was really delighted with him,” said Cassells of the bay who was bred by neighbours Noel and Nuala Prendergast out of their Ardcroney Lad VII mare Woodend Ard Hill, a half-sister to the Colonel Godfrey gelding Woodend Garfield who Ian rode at the European Junior eventing championships at Strzegom in 2012. “I’ve ridden him since he was four and he has been very consistent. He’s in the CCI4*S at Ballindenisk next week and his main target for next year will be the eight- and nine-year-old class at Blenheim.”

Cassells doubled up in the 22-runner NutriScience EI110 national championships when he completed on the winning dressage score he was awarded by Aherne and Lyttle for his test on Gerry and Fiona Leahy’s Rosconnell Alto (27 penalties).

In fact, the first seven on the final leaderboard all finished on their flat work scores, Cassells being joined on the podium by Laura Birley who was second on Fighting Spirit (29.2) and by Lucca Stubington who finished third on Kiltown Watson (31.4). Ian had a costly pole down with Shanbo Super Flex who was eighth on 35.2.

Cassells was on his travels again mid-week with Rosconnell Alto as they were in Abbotstown for the final viewing day to select the squad travelling to the world championships for young event horses at Le Lion d’Angers next month.

“This fellow is entered in the CCI2*-L at Ballindenisk but we’d give that a miss if we knew he was selected for Le Lion,” said Cassells of the Leahys’ six-year-old Tabasco Van Erpekom gelding who was third in his age class at the Millstreet international in early June. The chesnut was bred in Co Laois by Patrick Lacey out of the Cavalier Clover Lad mare All Clover.

Cassells had a very costly pole down with the Ballindenisk-bound Lisanley in the EI115 (Open) but topped the podium for a third time on Sunday as he and Carla Williamson, riding Galco in the EI100 (P), won the South Leinster Region Pro-Am Challenge.