THERE was a mixed response at Maddybenny on Saturday as Covid-19 restrictions were eased on underage and amateur participation in sport in Northern Ireland.

Newry’s Lucy McIlroy and her mother Angela’s eight-year-old Imperial Hights mare Imperial Black Pearl won for the third time this season but, on this occasion, did so when recording an uncontested victory in the EI110 (J).

Sarah O’Shea had things very much her own way at EI100 (J) level up to Saturday when she and The Cherokee Flight (28.3), who had a fence down show jumping, had to settle for second in the eight-strong class behind seasonal debutants Lara McRobb and Courtyard Queen (27.5). This was a first start at this level for the 11-year-old piebald mare.

Erin McCrea didn’t have the best outcome to her seasonal debut as, in the four-strong EI110 (P), she parted company across the country from her dressage leaders, Knockgarron Fear Bui Phoenix (31.3) and Knockagarron Fear Bui Princess (38.5), who had both show jumped clear.

As her sole surviving rival, Katie Flanagan, had two stops on the final phase with Son Of Loki, Alex O’Hare was left to record a comfortable success on her mother Donna’s 11-year-old mare Greylands Diamond Girl (44.3) who had a fence down show jumping.

While she faced 17 rivals in the EI90 (P), Anna Corinne White recorded a runaway victory when completing on her impressive dressage score of 17.8 penalties with her mother Lisa’s 10-year-old Red House Condor mare Creaghduff Annie May who was also successful on the second of just two runs last season. Clodagh McBride finished second on CSC Apache Dove (29).