By Margie McLoone

SUNDAY’s leg of the Irish Pony Club/Connolly’s Red Mills eventing series was hosted by the small North Kilkenny Branch at the Nuenna Farm Equestrian Centre of committee member Jillian Dillon and family.

The organisers were delighted to receive over 200 entries for their first event in spite of the counter attractions of the RDS, Tullamore show and, more importantly from a local perspective, Kilkenny’s participation in the semi-final of the all-Ireland senior hurling championship at Croke Park.

“Those who stayed at home for the event made the right decision,” said joint District Commissioner Olive Dooley. “It lashed everywhere else but we had just a couple of heavy shows which quickly went through. We weren’t too sure how many to expect but ended up having to erect a sixth dressage arena to cope with the numbers.

“We decided to run on Sunday as it tied in well with a Riding Club qualifier held at Nuenna Farm recently. We had a few hiccups, but they were minor, and the parents were great in the way they turned up to help. We would definitely run an event again,” she concluded.

The host branch had great success in Section B of the Intermediate where Amy Finn completed on her winning dressage score of 27.2 penalties with Ashfield Coronal.

Finn and the 11-year-old Coosheen Thyme gelding had been in action during the week at the RDS in the older Connemara performance hunter championship.

In spite of picking up four show jumping penalties, Laois’s Julie Keeley held on to second place with Igor Des Monceaux (32).

Mary Mahon is now third in the Intermediate league thanks to her win in Section A with the 14-year-old Maltstriker gelding Markive.

The Kilkenny member completed on her first phase score of 23.2 as her teammate Clare Farrell, the early leader, had a pole down for a total of 25.6 with Barnaree Pretty Polly.

It was a most disappointing day for those in the Novice Intermediate where only two of the 11 starters went clear in the show jumping ring while a similar number came home without penalty over the fixed fences.

The winning combination, Meath’s Niamh Farrell and the six-year-old dun gelding Moylaw Brando, were so far in front after dressage (19.2) that not only could they afford to lower one of the coloured poles they also picked up 20 cross-country penalties for a total of 43.2.

Jolly

Waterford’s Kym Jolly very much enjoyed her trip to Nuenna Farm as she won two of the three Junior divisions.

In Section A, she was the only rider to get under the 30 penalty barrier in dressage when she and CEC Cue To Call achieved a score of 27.7 to which they added four show jumping penalties to gain their first points of the series. Wicklow’s Mily O’Loughlin placed second on her flat work mark of 32.2 with Ciarog.

Jolly doubled up in Section C with the 10-year-old grey gelding Stonehavens Dazzler, completing on her dressage score of 30.2. Kildare’s Annalise Cullen, who led after the first phase with Bishopshall Joe (28.5), had a fence down show jumping to drop to fourth.

The Island’s Ciara Heneghan and Nimfield Tom Tom landed Section B in spite of adding four show jumping penalties to their winning dressage score of 22.9. Jack Sargent of the Kildare Branch finished second on his flat work mark of 29.6 with Halal’s Magic.

Tipperary’s Richard Quirke won the Under 12 class on his impressive dressage score of 18.5 with the seven-year-old dun gelding Roan Presley. Aine Duggan (Golden Vale) and Ellen Creed (Island) shared second place on 24 penalties apiece.