TOM Rowlatt-McCormick may not have enjoyed the best start to the 2020 season with his new ride, Mon Ami Alme, but the Ballynahinch combination brought up a quick hat-trick of EI110 (J) victories at Loughanmore last Saturday.

Owned and bred by the rider’s mother Fran, Mon Ami Alme was winning this class for the second time as the 12-year-old Adam IV gelding had topped the leaderboard here in 2018 under Tom’s brother Ben whose final outing on the chesnut was in the CCI3*-L at Ballindenisk last September. On Saturday, Tom and Mon Ami Alme completed on their dressage score (33.5) ahead of Gowran-based Sarah O’Donnell whose total of 42 on Blessington Prince Royal included eight cross-country time penalties. Better known in show jumping circles, 16-year-old O’Donnell is another taking over the ride from an elder sibling, in this case her sister Christine who twice represented Ireland on the bay gelding at European Young Riders’ championships.

Co Galway’s Godfrey Gibbons, who led after dressage on Milchem Free Spirit (28.5) only to drop to fourth, quickly gained compensation. This came in the EI110 (P) where, despite 16 show jumping penalties and 5.6 for time on the cross-country phase, he recorded an all-the-way success on his mother Marie Dunne’s 10-year-old Rebel Mountain gelding, Coolnaleen Rebel.

Another partnership to record a pillar-to-post success was Abby Cummiskey with Sandi Thompson’s 14-year-old Catherston Gold Storm gelding, Crackerjack VIII in the EI100 (J). The Ballynahinch combination established a clear lead in the dressage phase (24.3) which was needed as, with four show jumping penalties, they held on to win ahead of Lucy Johnston and Lara McRobb who both completed on their flat work marks with Major Cross (30.8) and Carrickaduff Dame (31.8) respectively.

Anna McCaldin had extra supporters on site as her mother, Catriona, is a member of the Dennison family who own the lovely Co Antrim estate. The 14-year-old did them proud as, not only did she win the EI100 (P) on the former Rowlatt-McCormick ride, Mon Ami Tonrerre, but she was the only competitor in the nine-strong class to complete on her dressage score (38.5). The show jumping proved influential with a pole down proving costly for Erin McCrea who was second on Knockagarron Fear Bui Phoenix (39.5). Lucy McDowell landed her EI debut EI90 (P) win on Kerry Magill’s former ride, Lisnahall Miss Toffee.