THE 2021 Eventing Ireland season in the Northern Region concluded last Saturday in Knockany where the Lusk family may not have received as large an entry as they hoped but, with the help of some lovely weather, did an excellent job of selling the facilities at their Co Down venue for the winter months ahead.

It’s not often that the show jumping phase of national one-day events is watched by many but the sand arena here is a suntrap and, as the morning became warmer, the number of spectators in the stands and on the bank increased as well. Many of these were enjoying the excellent breakfasts on offer at the on-site café run by White Horse Catering whose amazing cakes and desserts were being eyed up from early in the day!

The good news for those worrying about riders’ calorie intake is that walking the undulating cross-country course here can quickly counteract any excess. Close to the show jumping arena, one could see the massive amount of work being done putting in an all-weather surface (sand and fibre mix) which can be used for schooling and arena eventing.

Steven Smith rode one winner when the Northern Region season got under way at Tyrella in early April. He concluded his local campaign with a double on Saturday being one of two riders from 10 starters to complete on his dressage score in the EI110 (Open) where he led throughout on Mike Of Mourne (24.8 penalties).

Davina Gray also completed on her Lucinda Webb Graham-awarded mark to place third with the 11-year-old Boherdeal Clover mare Balief Clover (35.3) on whom she is competing in the CCI3*-S at Ballindenisk this weekend.

The CCI3*-L at the Co Cork international is where last Saturday’s runner-up, Shannondale Icarus, is competing. With joint-owner, and usual partner, Louise Bloomer sidelined, the ride on the nine-year-old Shannondale Sarco St Ghyvan gelding has been taken over by Bloomer’s brother Gerald who, on Saturday, picked up 4.4 time penalties over the Luke Drea-designed cross-country track with the bay for a three-phase total of 29.7.

The John McBride-bred Mike Of Mourne, who is by Ringfort Cruise out of an unraced thoroughbred mare by Roselier, has been selected for the CCI3*-L for seven-year-olds at Le Lion d’Angers where, with a fence down show jumping, he finished 16th under Smith last October.

The owner/rider doubled up in similar fashion in the EI100 on the British-bred Jaguar Blues (27.3). This was a third win of the campaign for the 2015 Jaguar Mail gelding who has only once finished outside the first six in nine starts.

In a class where 15 of the 29 starters completed on their Martina McKinley-awarded dressage scores, Jonny Steele filled the runner-up slot on his first public outing with the nine-year-old Western Johnny (29) on whom, he was marginally closer to the optimum cross-country time than Suzanne Hagan who was on the same score with Killeshin Vintage Swatch. Leila Baker had an expensive pole down show jumping and was a second over the time across the country with Kimble Beech who had been lying third (28) after dressage.

Baker did, however, have a better result than Sarah Ennis who picked up four show jumping penalties and had a glance-off at the narrow third element of the water (14) with Heritage Laccato, who was on 27.5 after dressage. Her day then got worse when Stellor Delite, who had been on 29.5 after the first two phases, slipped up on the flat at the top of the course between fences four and five. Despite being extremely sore following that fall, Ennis came out on her third ride, Barun Misty, and finished 10th.

Two other male riders recorded wins on Saturday with Denis Currie easily seeing off his sole rival when completing on his dressage score in the EI110 (Amateur) with his 16-year-old Shannondale Sarco St Ghyvan gelding, Arodstown Aramis.

North Co Dublin’s Liam Moran recorded his second success of the season in the EI100 (Amateur) with his 14-year-old Cult Hero gelding Timpany Flight Hero. Moran completed on his dressage score (28) as did another of the more experienced EI competitors, Philip Swann, who finished second on Tignabruaich (34.3).