Margie McLoone
HOWTH’s Nicola Ennis was one of the riders who had a couple of problems on the two-star track but she landed Section A of the CNC* with her Tyrella (2) winner, Killossery Kredit Krunch.
“I was absolutely delighted with him; he was very, very good,” reported Ennis of Laura Glynn’s homebred Out Of Touch six-year-old whose completion score of 48.1 included 2.8 cross-country time penalties.
Amateur Peter Garrigan will have been well pleased with his second place finish on Rupert Taylor Irish (52.8) but Jodie O’Keeffe, who had a day best forgotten, was eliminated for cumulative refusals on course with the dressage winner Reenmore Duke (40.8).
Maria Byrne, fifth in the advanced class with BGS Juicyfruit, partnered the mare’s stable-companion, BGS Class Affair, to an all-the-way victory in section B where they added four show jumping penalties to their winning dressage score of 34.6.
Byrne took over the ride from brother Patrick on the OBOS Quality 004 gelding this year and the combination were winning on their fourth outing together. Ruth Robinson, riding for sidelined owner Alex Houston, filled the runner-up slot on her second public appearance with Skyfall Echo (39.5).
On walking the CNC1* track, the one fence which looked like it might cause problems was the two-part Piano fence at 10 and so it proved with a few horses having to be re-presented at this ditch palisade to angled hanging log.
“In pre-season discussions with Joseph Murphy it was decided that the one-star track should have similar versions of fences that horses would meet when they upgrade,” said course designer Adam Stephenson. “This fence jumped perfectly when riders got their line right.”
Clare Abbott led the open novice on 27.5 after dressage with Glenkeeran River but the bay lowered two show jumps leaving Oinri Jackson to claim first place on his first phase score of 35 with his nine-year-old Cruising gelding Sallymount Du Cruise.
Abbott had some compensation when winning Section B of the EI 100 class on Cormac McKay’s smart home-bred gelding Kudos with the honours in Section A going to The Maestro II, ridden for Steven Smith by his brother Trevor.
There was a first Eventing Ireland win in the EI 90 class for Richhill’s Matthew Johnston and his own six-year-old Contador gelding Derryinver Ye Wee Boy.
Adam Haugh, who is trained by Joseph Murphy, won the CNCJ1* with Jesscia Harrington’s Jantar on their third start together at this level. The pair completed on their flat work score of 44.7 as the dressage winners, Shannon Nelson and OLS Inis Flaith (43.4) lost their lead with 12 show jumping penalties.
Ballyclare’s Holly Wray finished first and second with the Stewart Colville-owned pair of Rum And Raisin (29) and Crafty Guy (33.8) in the EI 100J class where the Boden Park winner, Patrick Mackie, broke his collar bone in a fall with Narnia Highlites.
Katie Good from Lisburn recorded her first EI 100P win on Keltroy while Laoise O’Farrell from Newry won the EI 90P class on her first start with the Connemara Monlough Meteor.