NORTHERN Region members of Eventing Ireland held off their southern counterparts in all but one class as the Lightsource Tyrella one-day event campaign reached its conclusion at the Corbett family’s Co Down estate last Saturday.

There was a very welcome success in the nine-runner EI115 (Open) for the Alex Houston-owned and ridden Skyfall Echo who recorded her first win since landing an Open Novice at the same venue in early April 2016. Now 13, she missed the entire 2019 season.

On Saturday, the top four all completed on their Vanda Stewart-awarded dressage scores with Houston and her lovely Beach Ball mare claiming the spoils on 28.9 penalties ahead of Sarah Ennis on Horseware Woodcourt Garrison (29.6), Joseph Murphy on Calmaro (30.7) and Lucca Stubington with Quingenti (31.8).

Steven Smith had contrasting results with his two runners in the EI115 classes on Saturday, being eliminated in the open section with Newferry Jagermeister, when omitting the Mins Table at 12, but narrowly winning the restricted division with Ann Bowe’s Ballindenisk-bound Hi Mr Henry.

That eight-year-old Cruising Harry gelding, who won the EI110 at Blackstairs last month, was one of four horses to complete on his dressage score (24.6 penalties). Marginally back in second came the Molly Evans-ridden Wellan Grafitti (25), who was having his first start at this level, with the Sarah Ennis-partnered Stellor Quick Change (25.9) placing third.

The dressage winners on 21.4, Izzy Reilly on DHI No Fear, were eliminated following three refusals at fence four, The Pepsi (a birch palisade with a ditch in front), while there were four retirements across the country, two at four and two at The Drop (8ab). Three of the 16 combinations were withdrawn before the final cross-country phase.

Wins for Haugh and Stubington

Smith looked on course to double up in the EI110 (Open) with Handsome Starr, when awarded a winning dressage score of 26.3 by Will McAuley, however 12 show jumping penalties put paid to his chances.

Victory in the nine-runner class went to Adam Haugh who completed on his first phase with his own Casdroff mare Carsonstown Cruise (26.5), a seven-year-old grey who was bred at Tyrella by the late Sally Corbett. The Kilkeel rider had mixed fortune here as, following one error in his dressage test on Major Black, which left him on 28.3, he was eliminated when parting company from the Imperial Hights gelding over the Aaron McCusker-designed show jumping course.

Nicky Roncoroni paid a rare visit north last Saturday with two horses, one being Sixmilewater on whom she won an EI90 here two years ago.

A repeat victory, but at EI110 level, looked on the cards when the Co Kilkenny combination topped the Janet Hall-judged dressage phase on 23.5. However, they had a costly pole down show jumping which, combined with being a second over the time in this phase, saw them end up third on a total of 27.9.

Two pairings then leapfrogged the early leaders, Co Antrim’s Lucca Stubington who, on her dressage score (25.2), won with Xanthe Green and Co Wicklow-based Katie O’Sullivan whose finishing position of second on Cooley Rules (26.5) wasn’t affected by an error in her dressage test. For good measure, O’Sullivan also finished fourth with Licence To Cooley (29.4).

While over half of the 24-strong field were penalised in the show jumping ring, only seven failed to go clear inside the time over the Adam Stevenson-designed cross-country course.

Xanthe Green is owned by Stubington’s mother Georgia and grandmother Patricia MacKean who, at their Sweet Wall Stud, bred the eight-year-old daughter of the recently-deceased Sir Shutterfly out of their well-related Arc Bright mare, Daisy M. The winner is being aimed at the CCI2*-L at Millstreet.

Sarah O’Shea was once again the only starter in the EI100 (J) with two horses but, on this occasion, she had just the one finisher, The Cherokee Flight, as she jumped the wrong fence three on Youngstars Cheetah.