SALLY Parkyn’s day in the judge’s box at Scarteen on Wednesday extended into the Dublin Horse Show small event horse qualifier as, for the first time, marks were introduced for rhythm and fluency over the 22-fence track.

This first qualifier of four attracted a large entry of 40, with three horses failing to meet their engagement.

Six combinations went clear within the time and, as two of these received the maximum 10 points for rhythm and fluency, the optimum time ruling was brought into play to decide first and second places. It was also used to differentiate between the third and fourth placed horses, who were both awarded nine points by Parkyn.

Two riders who cracked the qualifying system in the past, Sharon Power and Aideen Kirby, did so again on Wednesday to book their RDS tickets on horses who have previously appeared in the Main Arena at Dublin.

Power took the first qualifying spot with her six-year-old Ars Vivendi mare SRS Mini Vendi who finished fourth in the final last July. The bay has plenty of EI90 and EI100 experience to her credit with three wins at the lower level.

SRS Mini Vendi, who also has 21 Showjumping Ireland points, was bred in Co Tipperary by Mary Quirke out of the Olympic Lux mare Wood Side. Her dam’s previous produce include the international two-star eventer Mad About U and a former young event horse contender, and winner of the four-year-old Masterclass at Camphire in 2014, Lux Aventi (by Ars Vivendi) who is now jumping with the Army under the name Carnlea.

Aideen Kirby is set to return to the RDS for the third year running with Derg Masterpiece, a seven-year-old Lancelot mare who was bred by the rider and husband Owen Kirby out of the Clover Hill mare Show Piece. The combination finished second in Dublin last July to Shirsheen Fun Size, who had a single time fault on Wednesday.

Also going through to the final from this first qualifier were two more mares, Rita Lyons’s Jack Of Diamonds five-year-old Crested Sparrow (Edie Murray-Hayden) and John Vaughan’s Crannagh Hero seven-year-old Glenomra Chandon (Richard Hourigan).

Three horses were eliminated and jumping penalties ranged from four to 26.

The last horse jumped at roughly 7.15pm which made it a long day for those who were working at the qualifier in advance of the 9am start.