Round-up

ALTHOUGH he was busy in his capacity as organiser, Rodney O’Donnell also enjoyed the day as a winning owner. Having passed the ride on Dartans Hillcrest to fellow event organiser and rider Dominic Furnell, he watched as the pair posted the winning score in the 29-strong EI100.

Enjoying only his second run under rules, the gelding completed on his fourth -placed dressage score, benefitting from some costly show jumping rounds of his challengers.

Another son of OBOS Quality, the winning gelding was bred by Louise Lyons, and under the name of Dartans Shine A Light competed in the three-year-old event class at the RDS in 2017. He was then sold through Goresbridge, topping the sale last October, when snapped up by O’Donnell’s brother-in-law Jake Murphy.

Another six-year-old, Cairnview Redwood Guy ridden by Lesley Jones, was also clear to hold second from the 20-year-old veteran Derryvinane Herbie (Siobhan Schous).

Thoroughbred sires came to the fore in the final senior class of the day, and heading them was Kilybeg Spirit, a four-year-old by Spirit House. Well ridden by Cillian Creedon, the tall gelding impressed the EI90 judge from the outset, and completing on his opening score – as did the majority- he led Dan Foley with Clonshire Waveney, and also Natalie O’Driscoll (Kilcanny Suzanne). Bred by Tim Holland in Co Cork, the winner is out of Kilybeg Glory (dam by Chippison) while the runner-up is, as his name suggests, by the thoroughbred Waveney out of Roys Grey by Farney Clover.