RUNNING as a much-appreciated new venue, Eventing Ireland’s fixture at the Frankfort Stud, near Gorey, Co Wexford, finally got underway last weekend.

Filling a big gap in the Leinster region, the keenly awaited event took place four months later than scheduled, and due to its success is now set to become a permanent addition to the calendar.

Hosted by the Kearney family whose Frankfort Stud stood the highly regarded event stallions Frankfort Boy and Billies Bank, the event was the brainchild of organiser and young horse producer Will Kearney. From a young child, Kearney pictured an event course running over the farm’s undulating terrain, even siting the fences in his mind.

When the M11 motorway and the Enniscorthy by-pass sliced the dairy farm into three, Kearney was ready to diversify. “The dairy farming just wasn’t really viable after that,” he explained. “So, we were looking for something different. I had always had the interest in horses and eventing, and having worked with Dereck (Hamilton) at the RDS and at Barnadown, we decided to stage the events. I built about 90% of the fences over the winter, with Dereck supplying the remainder,” Kearney explained.

Making the maximum use of the terrain, the pair designed the track to set off on the flat, before winding its way up the hilly terrain and gradually back down. Both the show jumping and the dressage arenas are on the flat, and Kearney hopes to develop further.

“We have had very positive feedback from riders and owners,” he confirmed. “It was a pity more people were not allowed to come and watch, but hopefully they will when our next fixture runs in early October.”

Full range of classes

In order to accommodate the restricted entries, the event ran over Saturday and Sunday, staging a full range of classes from EI110 to EI90 each day.

Not for the first time this season, the professionals dominated the proceedings, and most notably Co Dublin rider Ian Cassells. Having also scored at Ballindenisk seven days earlier, Cassells landed back-to-back EI110 victories with Bridget McGing’s Master Point, before winning Sunday’s equivalent with Alfred VI and a later EI100 sector with the youngster Rosconnell Alto.

“During lockdown, I spent a lot of time going back to basics and did a lot of strengthening work,” he revealed. “I have also had some help from Gerald Bloomer on the flat and it’s all paying off.”

The impressive Master Point opened the EI110 by sharing the dressage lead with Edie Murray Hayden (Sandyhill Ceol) on 26.5. Jumping was the name of the game however, and with only a sprinkling of clear rounds, the son of Pointilliste forged ahead to pip Sam Watson (Chesterfield Willpower) and also Steven Smith aboard Fredie Fox.

This was a good performance by the exciting seven-year-old Master Point of whom Cassells remarked, is “a really nice horse, who we think a lot of.”

Smith did gain compensation in the earlier EI110 open sector when, making his seasonal debut, Virginia Maguire’s Handsome Starr headed the four starters by a distance. The home-bred son of September Storm sped around the country to eventually win by a distance.

The up and coming international fixtures at Kilguilkey and Ballindenisk are pencilled in for this eight-year-old of whom Smith commented: “He’s taken time to come together but he went very well today. It’s good to get out, but tough on the owners who couldn’t travel to watch. These horses are their pride and joy – it’s a difficult time.”

Sunday’s feature EI110 classes fell to Cassells again, and also to Co Wicklow producer Gilly Crawford. In the EI110 (O), Cassells stepped in to take the ride on Alannah Kelly’s experienced Albert VI. A three-time winner under his owner and with form in England, Cassells commented: “Alannah has done a very good job with him, but he’s a big strong horse. I will ride him again at Punchestown and we will take it from there.” The 15-year-old led the dressage by a distance, a despite tipping a coloured rail, completed nearly 10 marks in front of Jonathan Steele with the stallion Centre Point.

Local rider Gilly Crawford teamed up with the six-year-old Harlequin Babybel to make an impressive level debut in Sunday’s EI110. Heading the 14 runners from flag fall, Jenny Griffin’s consistent mare added just time faults to her opening mark, and appears to have stepped up with ease. Bred by Michael Byrne, and counting the CCI4* campaigner The Court Jester (Tim Price, Sammi Birch and Nick Gauntlett) as a full-brother, Babybel has been produced by Crawford throughout her career.

Patrick Byrne filled second spot with the lightly run BGS Salt and Pepper, from Polly Holohan with the diminutive Ballinamertina Brigade.