FOR the second week in-a-row, Galway’s Cathal Daniels won an under 25 international class in tough company.

Following up on victory at last week’s Tattersalls International Horse Trials with LEB Lias Jewel, Daniels travelled to Bramham International with his World Equestrian Games silver medallist Rioghan Rua and the combination rose after every discipline to eventually be crowned the winners of the CCI4*-L under 25 class.

Margaret and Frank Kinsella’s 12-year-old Irish Sport Horse home-bred mare (by Jack Of Diamonds) was eighth of the 27 starters after completing dressage with a score of 33.7 on day one.

A clear inside the time around Saturday’s cross-country course shot them up to third place and when they jumped a perfect clear over the show jumps on Sunday to finish on their dressage score, the pressure was on the top two. Only two riders managed to be clear inside the time on Sunday.

Britian’s Will Rawlins faulted to finish third (36.9), while the leader Yasmin Ingham, also picked up four faults and slipped behind Daniels to finish on 34.1.

“She (Rioghan Rua) did a good test, there were no real mistakes so I was very happy. The leader was on 29 and I was on 33, I knew it wasn’t going to be a dressage competition. She made the cross-country feel quite easy when a lot of other good horses struggled all across the course. And on Sunday, I knew going in third place that a clear round would help a lot. The track was decent and the time was tight enough. She felt in great form,” Daniels said.

“She is being aimed at the European Championships now. She might have a prep run before then but will have a bit of an easy time now, she doesn’t need to do much. And now she is qualified for Tokyo with that run so there is no pressure.

On the competition for a place on Sally Corscadden’s team, he added: “It will definetly be competitive, there are a lot of good horses and riders, but I would be quietly confident with her, she would be a good reliable team horse now. But it is not a matter of sitting back, you need good results to get on the team.”

Daniels is busy with 10 horses running over two days this weekend. He is also keen to keep producing results in the pure show jumping arena. “I would like to keep doing as much show jumping as possible. One or two horses are being kept just as jumpers, it’s good for my riding and I have a good interest in jumping too. Hopefully I will be able to build on that and be able to do a bit of both.”

Co Down’s Susie Berry was seventh with the Devenish Nutrition-owned 15-year-old gelding Stonedge (74.4). The combination were 12th after dressage (36.0) and picked up 20 penalties plus 17.6 time penalties on cross-country, before recording 0.8 time penalties in show jumping. Co Limerick’s Robbie Kearns finished 11th on Master McCormack (96.6). The cross-country took its toll on the field with four eliminations (including Berry on her second mount, Ringwood LB), and five retiring.

Clark ninth

Just weeks after giving birth, Aoife Clark finished ninth in the CCI4*-S. Riding her own and Richard Last’s 13-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare Fernhill Adventure (by Newmarket Venture) she was fourth after dressage when scoring an impressive 24.2. She added just 0.8 time penalties over the coloured poles to remain in fourth heading across the country, where an additional 5.2 time faults saw her drop to ninth place.

Victory went to Britain’s Gemma Tattersalls and Quicklook V. The pair led from flagfall on a score of 21.6,