THE David Foster Injured Riders’ Fund and AWARE were the beneficiaries of the mini one-day event staged at Killossery Lodge Stud last Thursday.

Sneezy Foster, sporting an AWARE T-shirt, was on hand to present the prizes while members of the Irish Universities Riding Clubs Association went around with buckets collecting for the charity which focuses on depression. The show jumping and dressage judges gave their time for free.

Disappointingly, the entry was on the small side but, once again, those who did compete enjoyed the day with the relaxed atmosphere making it an ideal occasion to introduce young horses to the sport.

Not so young were the Carol Gee-owned and ridden pair, Fernhill Mayhem and Fernhill Spring Lightly, who finished first and second in the novice class. The former, an 11-year-old Mayhill gelding, completed on his dressage score of 15 while Fernhill Spring Lightly’s total of 26 included eight show jumping penalties.

Both horses are heading to the CIC in Waregem next week where Fernhill Mayhem competes in the two-star class while Fernhill Spring Lightly, an eight-year-old Cut The Mustard gelding, goes in the one-star competition. Fraser Duffy is joining Gee on the trip to Belgium where he rides Primus in the Nations’ Cup and the six-year-old Porsch gelding Fernhill Cayenne in the one-star class.

Katie O’Sullivan recorded a runaway success with the newcomer Darustud Cooley in Thursday’s pre-novice section. The Co Wicklow combination completed on their dressage score of 11 penalties which was exactly half that of the second-placed pairing of local rider Lydia Dawson and the 10-year-old Condios gelding Youngstars Manhattan.

The Cooley Sport Horses team of owners Richard and Georgina Sheane and rider O’Sullivan were major supporters of the mini one-day event league run by Killossery in late summer and were delighted when this fundraising day was added to the calendar.

“We would like to say what excellent days these are,” stated Georgina. “They are so relaxed and everyone at Killossery understands that we are bringing out young horses; there is never a panic about anything.”

Michelle Nelson finished third on Fuerty Droim Ri (26), one of three horses she competed at Scarvagh House the previous Saturday.

James O’Haire, who was among those receiving training from Lizzie Murray (flat) and Ian Fearon (jumping) through the George Mernagh memorial bursary fund at Abbotstown on Wednesday, won the Intro class on newcomer Theo (39 penalties).

“He was very green in dressage, looking all about him, but very impressive once he got to jump,” said O’Haire of Ronan Kinsella’s highly-regarded five-year-old Cobra gelding who is out of a Diamond Lad mare. “This event was just perfect for him as it was grand and relaxed and he learned a lot.”

Two horses finished second on 42 penalties. Owned and ridden by Janice O’Shaughnessy, My Winterdown Willow is an eight-year-old brown mare of unrecorded breeding who did some SJI jumping in the first half of the year. She also competes in unregistered classes at shows run by the Leinster region of Dressage Ireland and in Riding Club activities.

Suzanne Ennis shared the runner-up spot on board the Connemara Thornfield Roe, a six-year-old grey gelding by Tulira Robuck out of an Aran Flight mare.