RUNNING with its customary full quota of entries, Grove delivered another first-class fixture last weekend. Run by the enterprising Rosemary Ponsonby and her team, the park event produced a new look cross-country course, and amazingly, even escaped the rain which deluged the surrounding areas.

Always innovative, Grove’s cross-country tracks, which as usual were designed by Paul and Allen Brady, took new routes and featured a concentration of fences in a spectator-friendly area. As a result, the viewing from this central point is now among the best in the country, as supporters can watch almost every fence. “The whole idea was to try to make it more consumer friendly,” explained Ponsonby, who in another forward thinking move, is hoping to be able to ring the changes with dressage judges, especially in some of the more advanced classes.

Recognition of this problem, with such a small pool of judges nationally, will be appreciated by the riders, who also liked the challenges of the cross-country courses. Ponsonby, together with event chairman Sean Brett, and the extended team at Grove worked tirelessly to create challenging tracks which, equally importantly were accompanied (with the possible exception of the EI 115) by a competitive but fair time allowed.

The 11am cross-country start was logistically testing for some of the multiple riders, but the day travelled through efficiently and was well described by commentators, Clare Ryan and Tim Corballis, as well as British visitor and new Co Wexford resident Roger Hoskins.

EI 115

Making only her second run of the current campaign, the mare Pride of Tredstep, partnered by Aiden Keogh, scored the best of the two runners in the open sector. Picking up a 10-mark advantage on the flat, the pair produced a slow but double clear round, to extend their lead over Cameron Kiernan Jnr aboard Fernhill Nearly Darc.

The day really belonged to the indefatigable Sarah Ennis however, who opened her hat-trick of wins in the restricted sector. A far more competitive affair, with 15 runners, Ennis led from the front with the impressive 11-year-old Moneyball. Adding just time penalties to her opening score of 26.4, the Co Meath rider remained ahead throughout, two marks in front of her second ride Grantstown Jackson and third-placed Brian Kuehnle with Tullibards Now Or Never.

Having posted his third win of the season, the winner is on the market, and is according to Ennis “an uncomplicated ride, ideal for a good young rider and a savage jumper”. Commenting on the day’s courses, she added: “I had a horse in each class, so remembering where I was going was a bit challenging at times, but the tracks themselves were a really good warm-up for Ballindenisk.”

In fourth spot, Louise Bloomer also enjoyed a good, steady spin with the Le Lion d’Angers-bound Shannondale Icarus.

Just three picked up jumping penalties, among which was the very promising level debutante Belline Warrenstown Cruz. Only a six-year-old, and in third place on the flat, the Daniel Alderson-ridden mare was unlucky to record her first ever cross-country penalty when glancing off at the penultimate. Dominic Furnell added the same at the skinny (4b), while Leila Barker parted company with her Lisgarvan winner French Puissance at the Rangemaster Log complex (16).