NOT for the first time, Danny Dulohery and the team at Kilguilkey stepped into the breach to stage a highly successful last-minute event on Sunday. Replacing the cancelled Annaharvey, the popular Co Cork venue attracted yet another good quota of runners, who filled 14 classes up to and including the O/CNC2* feature.

Despite the short notice, Dulohery had changed the direction of the tracks, as well as incorporating some new loops and fences. “It all worked well, and we were very lucky with the weather,” he commented afterwards. “There were little bits of trouble everywhere, as it should be, and riders certainly couldn’t be asleep.”

One who was firmly focussed on the job in hand was the O/CNC2* winner Stephanie Stammschroer. Teaming up with her junior European squad partner Master Swatch, and making only her second appearance at the level, Stammschroer posted a convincing win to head British visitor and new River Lodge Eventing rider Laura Ritchie-Bland. Since sourcing the son of Watermill Swatch from his breeder Olga Scully last autumn, the duo have made giant strides up through the ranks, and moved up to senior company just three weeks ago. On their debut at Clyda, they produced the only double clear round and, looking equally comfortable at Kilguilkey, won on their opening score of 28.9.

Stammschroer paid credit to dressage trainer Amanda Goldsbury for her improvement on the flat, while putting her clear show jumping round down to regular grid work.

The winner and second-placed Laura Ritchie-Bland (SRS Everest) were the only two starters to record a double clear round. Faults were dived between time and show jumping penalties, and while the order was jostled accordingly, all 11 runners enjoyed a trouble free spin in the country.

PARTNERSHIPS

There were a number of new partnerships in action on Sunday, among which was the O/CNC* winning duo of Cathal Daniels riding Jo Breheny’s LEB Lias Jewel. Previously partnered by Camilla Speirs, who headed a similar class at Ballindenisk last month, the daughter of Limmerick moved to Daniels just a few weeks ago. Connections were keen to see the mare run under a male rider, and having led the dressage on 30.5, the duo maintained a clear advantage over Tracey Walsh (Summerbridge Lily) who was also clear, but on 34.5.

Double clear rounds were as rare as hen’s teeth in the very competitive CNC*, so the precocious performance by one-star debutante Twiggy Pop was especially pleasing to her rider Brian Morrison. Only a six-year-old, the Dignified Van’t Zorgvliet-sired mare is yet to incur a jumping fault under Morrison, and led the field of 24 from the front (30.0).

“She’ll be a top-class junior horse,” said the Clyda-based rider, who was one just three riders to complete on their opening scores. ”She’s stepped up well and confidently, and is now on the market.”

Winner aside, Robbie Kearns was also fault free in second with Ann O’Grady’s smart Ballingowan Euphoria (31.3) as was former national pony club champions Michael C Healey with the third-placed Soverign Guy.

Although not affecting the leaders, four combinations incurred individual refusals at differing fences, while Shannon Nelson and OLS Aragon walked home from the third.

The junior riders coped better than their elders in the CNCJ*, which delivered a seasonal hat trick to Rebecca Coonan and Jantar. The experienced duo led the field on the flat on 24.3, to withstand the challenge from the slightly slower Zara Nelson (OLS Inis Flaith) on 27.3 and also James Phillips, who is making a marked impression with the recently upgraded Wonderful Every Day (29.0). All eight starters completed.

Nelson gained some compensation however when, riding her Kilguilkey international winner Knockbordan Revelation, she filled the top spot in the CNCP2*. Despite adding four penalties in the show jumping arena, the Co Kildare duo, just held their first phase advantage to deny victory to the clean jumping but expensively slower, Brian Kuenhle (Pinegrove Seoige).

Local rider, Zara Burke-Ott filled third with Aille Fountain Breeze, but went on to land second place in the following EI100P. Riding Black Trigger, Burke Ott led the six runners on 32.3, but a costly error in the show jumping saw her reverse placings with eventual winner Susan Shanahan aboard Ruaile Buile Bailey, and leave Jennifer Kuehnle slotting into the next three placings.

This was a first EI victory for Shanahan, who has forged a good partnership with the veteran dun, who was formerly ridden by Rebecca Coonan.