THE news which came through on Sunday morning of the sad and sudden death overnight of Maddybenny’s co-host and cross-country course designer, Philip White, completely overshadowed all the action at the Co Antrim venue the previous day.

A full tribute to Philip, who will be missed in the point-to-point and hunting spheres and throughout all branches of equestrianism from Pony Club level upwards, can be found on page 104. Here, Colin Halliday’s quote would have given the former international much satisfaction.

“I was speaking to Philip during the week,” said the Co Louth-based event rider and young horse producer, “and it was only when he gave me his assurance that the course would be spiked and that I could trust him to have things right, that I decided to enter.”

Halliday had just the one ride on Saturday but his 4.30am departure from home proved well worthwhile as, despite being a second over the time across the country, he recorded a narrow, all-the-way success in the EI110 with GHS Calexico (28.7).

This was a second start at this level for the six-year-old Van Gogh mare whose Co Tyrone breeder, Leanne Marshall, was present to see him win following a 17-month Covid-19 enforced absence from the sidelines. The bay is out of Penhaligon Cairo (by Cavalier Royale) and thus is a full-sister to Adam Hough’s recent Ballindenisk CCI3*-S runner-up, Van Thee Man.

Jonny Steele, who had four other rides on the day, completed on his Lucinda Webb Graham-awarded dressage score with R Kidd (28.8), a six-year-old home-bred mare by Centrestage, while Anita Doherty likewise finished on her first phase score with the 10-year-old Threeseas (31). Only one of the 10 starters had a jumping problem across the country, that coming at the Box Corner (19).

“Calexico has been entered for the 1.10 at Glenpatrick next Saturday (today) and will then do the six-year-old classes at Punchestown and Necarne,” said Halliday.

“We really do need to know if Dublin is going ahead for the young event horse classes as I’ve a clatter of four and five-year-olds being aimed at those qualifiers and, hopefully, the final. I’ve a yard full of horses and brought three down to the unaffiliated event at Killossery Lodge Stud on Sunday.”

The yard’s oldest competitive resident, Elscaro, finished third in the EI110 (Open) under Halliday’s wife Orlath, the 15-year-old mare jumping a double clear but picking up 9.6 cross-country time penalties which Colin attributed to a “new braking system”.

Victory in the five-runner class went to the busy Jonny Steele on Susan Sullivan’s 10-year-old home-bred Radolin mare Bellablue (ex Eternity B, by Sire de Valette) who added four show jumping penalties to her winning dressage score of 30.3.