NICOLA Ennis had just one ride at Clyda last Sunday but the trip south proved well worthwhile as, on her first intermediate start, Dee Mac landed the 24-runner CNC2* on her winning dressage score (29.1).
“The cross-country track was a lot beefier than I thought it would be but it rode really well and my mare just pinged around it,” said Co Meath-based Ennis who was having her first outing at this level since June last year.
“She’s a really lovely mare that I have been riding since she was six but she hasn’t had a lot of runs as she was off one year to have a foal (a 2016 Caricello colt bred by the rider’s brother-in-law, Niki Potterton) while, last spring, she had a suffered a bad overreach at Tyrella. She was in a cast for three months and then had to wear special shoes. She had to run here to get her qualification for the CIC2* at Millstreet.”
A nine-year-old by Cruising Harry, Dee Mac was bred in Co Tipperary by John O’Sullivan out of Coumore Rebel (by Rich Rebel) who is half-sister to the three-star show jumper Harlequin Pearl (by Harlequin du Carel).
Ella Boyle also completed on her dressage score to finish second on another mare, Candy 737 (31.4), while Patrick Byrne’s total of 32.7 with BSG Country Dreams included two show jumping time penalties.
Eight of the top nine horses in the 15-runner O/CNC2* class completed on their flat work marks including the Joseph Murphy partnered HL Mrs Imp (29.1), Fernhill Frankie (29.1) and Sportsfield Othello (29.6).
This trio finished second, third and fourth behind Gerald Bloomer and Calliaghstown Flight (28.9) who were having just their second start of the season.
Bloomer and his mother Jane’s 14-year-old Laughton’s Flight gelding are also among the entries for the CIC2* at Millstreet next week. Sarah Ennis led after dressage here with Woodcourt Garrison (28.4) who had a fence down show jumping and dropped to eighth.
The very consistent Lee Maher-partnered NEH Avalon Clover completed on his first phase score (26.8) in the CNC1* to record his second win from just four starts at this level. Although the cross-country phase saw a parting of the ways between the dressage leaders, Ella Boyle and WKD Cooley (26.3), there was just one stop between the other 19 starters over the fixed fences.
The winner, an eight-year-old gelding by Cloneen Clover, was bred in Co Carlow by Peter Roche out of the non-winning point-to-point mare Brickfield Beauty (by Tidaro). Completing on their first phase scores to finish second and third were Katie O’Sullivan with the six-year-old Ars Vivendi gelding Cooley Now Or Never (28) and Davina Gray with her Boherdeal Clover mare Balief Clover (30.3).
Luke Drea completed on his flat work mark (33) with Anne Bannon’s home-bred Jack Of Diamonds gelding Gorsehill Jack to finish fourth, a position he also occupied in the O/CNC2* class on Treliver Desdemona who also achieved a score of 33.
Michael Ryan’s four rides in the EI100 all performed well, two finishing in the top six, but he won the three-runner O/CNC1* class on Carol and Tom Henry’s 13-year-old Maltstriker gelding Dunlough Striker.
Gorsehill Jewel, another six-year-old by Jack Of Diamonds owned and bred by Anne Bannon, followed up her win in the CNCJ1* at Crecora (2) with victory here, again under Jim Tyrrell. This time, the pair completed on their winning dressage score.
None of the seven runners in that class had a problem in jumping across the country but half of the six starters in the CNP2* did, one being eliminated, while all picked up show jumping penalties.
GOOD DAY
On a good day for her ponies, Carol Gee’s Connemara mare Fernhill Little Lady won under Brian Kuehnle. The 12-year-old by Seoigeach led after dressage (31) before going clear inside the time across the country, as did her nearest rival, Kilcoltim Swift (Lilly Keogh). Despite lowering one of the coloured poles, Fernhill Little Lady extended her advantage in this phase as Kilcoltrim Swift had two down.
It was close at the top of the EI105 where, completing on their dressage scores, Daniel Meagher and the 11-year-old Stonehavens Cloud (33) scored narrowly from Patrick Whelan on Spark Of Life (33.3), an eight-year-old by Oberon van Fyandra d’O9 whose two previous outings had been at EI100 level.
What a day it was for the Adams sisters! Grace won the EI100P class with the 12-year-old Connemara gelding Myshall Rodge whose previous rider, Hannah, landed the EI100J with the seven-year-old Contra mare Milchem Ardeo on their second start as a combination. Finally, Julia won the EI90P class with the nine-year-old Tabragh gelding Blizzard who was making his Eventing Ireland debut.
The scorers took extra time to decide the winners of the divided EI100 class. In Section A, where Camilla Speirs on Omard Hawaii Lady and Correna Bowe with Rock On Cooley both completed on their joint-winning dressage scores (30.3), Speirs finished nearer the optimum cross-country time to take the honours on her five-year-old Beach Ball mare whose only previous start was in the EI90 class at Crecora (2) eight days earlier.
In Section B, Patricia Ryan led after dressage (19.5) with Carol and Tom Henry’s Ballyengland Crafty but four show jumping penalties saw that Galloping King five-year-old drop to fourth on his second start.
Ryan however had a second ride in this class with the same owners’ similarly-aged but vastly more experienced Grantstown Coney Street who recorded a third success when completing on his flat work score (21.8). The Imperial Hights gelding finished closer to the optimum cross-country time than the 2013 Newmarket Venture gelding Gurtera Jimmy Clover (21.8) who was ridden by Ryan’s husband Michael.
There were five eliminations in the 13-runner EI90 class including that of Thomas Forbes and the four-year-old Golden Age who, despite a mistake, led after dressage (28.5). Kildare’s Kate Solon was left in front (28.8) to record her first EI success on Oakport Harvey Star, a six-year-old gelding by Oakport Clover Dick.