THE final leg of the Irish Sport Horse eventing series was held in conjunction with the Eventing Ireland National Championships at Kilguilkey House. Three of the four league winners took part in their respective divisions.

Ann Bostock (Britain) and Ann Glynn (Ireland) judged Saturday morning’s CNC1* class for six-year-olds. Their winner, on a score of 29.6 penalties, was Carol Gee’s recent acquisition Carra Lux Quality who wasn’t pushed across the country later in the day by Fraser Duffy, picking up six time penalties.

Luke Drea similarly took it handy (11.6 time penalties) with Gorsehill Jack, who had been lying second (29.9). Katie O’Sullivan’s mount J’Taime Cooley brought his two-phase total up to 34.3 with the addition of four time penalties on the second phase.

Here, just two combinations had a problem in jumping. The Stephen McAvinchey-partnered Newtownbarry Lucky Star only cleared the skinny flowerbox third element of the Packman Pizza Mounds (7abc) at the second attempt, while Catherine Robinson called it a day with Greenhall Vivendi Cruz following stops at seven and the following Balladeer Sport Horses open ditch brush.

Heading into Sunday’s concluding show jumping phase Eva Melly held the lead with Wolf Vegas (32) but lowered the vertical at eight to drop to fourth behind Alyssa O’Neill on Colacentric (32.1), Clare Abbott with Jewelent (32.6 which included a mistake in dressage) and Jonny Mulligan on Randalstown Commando, all of whom completed on their dressage scores.

O’Neill was delighted to win with Colacentric who she first produced through the Young Event Horse Series as a four-year-old. The owner/rider was due to have a busy week, bringing her grey Lancelot mare to the Le Lion training on Wednesday while, working for the marketing department of Horse Sport Ireland, she was due to keep all informed by social media of the progress of our athletes at WEG.

“It would be a nice way to finish the year if we could get to Le Lion,” stated O’Neill.

LEAGUE WINNERS

The six-year-old league was won by Lisa Rosbotham’s much-admired Jewelent, a grey gelding by the owner’s stallion Valent out of the thoroughbred mare Bellaney Jewel (by Roselier). The latter’s four-year-old daughter Rosalent has been sold to Richard Sheane following her excellent performances throughout the Young Event Horse Series.

Rosbotham too was heading into a busy week as she was travelling home from Kilguilkey before going over to Lanaken as her Miss Valent had received a late call-up for the six-year-old team show jumping world championships for young horses.

Being a member of the Irish eventing team at Tryon gave Sarah Ennis a good excuse not to attend Kilguilkey where Derek McConnell’s Derroon Diplomat was confirmed the winner of the ISH five-year-old league.

The Ricardo Z gelding finished on 46 points, well ahead of Master Point (22), Gurtera Jimmy Clover (20) and Woodendfarm Jack O D (19) who, in that order, filled the top three places in the final leg of the ISH EI100 series.

CASSELLS CROWNED CHAMPION

The majority of the top 10 after dressage completed on their flat work score with Ian Cassells winning comfortably on 18.4 penalties with Bridget McGing’s home-bred Master Point.

The bay by Pointilliste out of the two-star mare Chikari (by Kings Master) was paying his first visit to Kilguilkey House, unlike the Michael Ryan-partnered Newmarket Venture gelding Guertera Jimmy Clover (24.5) who had won and been placed fourth here on two previous starts. In common with his stable-companion, the Cassells-partnered Jack Of Diamonds gelding Woodendfarm Jack O D made his Kilguilkey debut last weekend.

While the show jumping phase resulted in some changes on the leaderboard, none of the 34 starters were penalised for jumping errors across the country although three combinations incurred time penalties.

FOUR-YEAR-OLD WINNER

The four-year-old league was won by the Camillo VDL gelding Clonguish Berjo, a winner here earlier in the season, who was eliminated on Sunday when Rebecca Dunlea omitted a fence having already picked up 20 penalties at the Packman Pizza Mounds (seven).

They finished the league on 26 points ahead of Alan Keoghan with Lockside Lady (22) and Janie Cairns on Kiltroms Golden Zed (18). Riding BT Juste Capitaine, Camilla Speirs shared fourth place on 10 points with Emma Jackson (Tullaher Sidney).

It was the Kildare rider who fared best at Kilguilkey House where she completed on her winning dressage score (25.5) with her mother Bridget’s BT Juste Capitaine who is by the ISH stallion Captain Carnute out of a Buster King mare. Despite a fence down show jumping, Cairns finished second with the Golden Lariat gelding Kiltroms Golden Zed (31.3) who is on the market.

There was just one horse who was penalised for a jumping error across the country, the Jackson-ridden Ballycreen The Kings General who glanced off the skinny at seven.

There was only the one entry in the ISH EI100 class for five and six-year-old ponies. However, there was no walkover for Ellen Douglas and her mother Elaine’s Rock Melody who finished on their dressage score (34.3) to win the class and the league.

Fourteen-year-old Ellen also competed with the six-year-old as a member of the North Down Pony Club, winning her Area 17 qualifier.