ON an excellent weekend for Northern Region members of Eventing Ireland at the Sema Lease Kilguilkey House International, Co Antrim’s Alex Houston recorded an overdue first international victory when landing the Horse Sport Ireland CCI3*-L on Minty Imp.

Only two combinations completed on their Faith Ponsonby (C) and Marie Hennessy (B) awarded dressage scores when the 21-runner class concluded on Sunday. Houston and her 11-year-old S Creevagh Ferro mare, who went into the final phase in third place, winning on 34.3 penalties ahead of fellow NR member Steven Smith and Caryn Walker’s 10-year-old home-bred Lougherne Cashell gelding, Newferry Jagermeister (34.9).

“While the show jumping was run in reverse order of merit, it was a bit messy as three of us, including the two ahead of me after cross-country, Steven Smith and Ian Cassells, had two rides each,” said Houston who, with 5.6 cross-country time penalties and two fences down on Sunday, finished ninth on her 13-year-old Clover Echo mare, Skyfall Echo (46.7). “I had a bit of luck on my side when Minty jumped clear, so then I just had to sit and wait for Ian and Steven to jump.”

Unfortunately for Cassells, Woodendfarm Jack O D, who had finished inside the time on Saturday, maintained his record of having a fence down at this level internationally. On a total of 37.8, they dropped to fifth behind Alex Donohoe and Guidam Roller who had left all the poles intact but, with 3.6 cross-country time penalties, completed on 36.1.

Having already jumped clear with Newferry Jagermeister, Steven Smith was then last to go with Hi Mr Henry but for just the second time in a year, the eight-year-old Cruising Harry gelding rolled a pole which saw him drop to third on 35.5.

“I was shocked and absolutely delighted to win and I have to say that Steven and Ian were among the first to congratulate me,” said Houston who, unlike her rivals, does not ride full-time as she is a civil engineer with Martin Contracting Services in Ballyclare. “At present, we are all working from home (which in Houston’s case is close to Maddybenny) which makes it a lot easier for me to do the horses.

“I’ve had a good season nationally with Minty, Echo and my home-bred youngster (a six-year-old Beach Ball gelding). Things didn’t go so well on my last outing with the older horses at Millstreet where I retired Echo early after two stops at fence five and was eliminated when unseated from Minty at fence four. She was going really well until, very late, she caught sight of the plastic cows at the fence where she went one way and I went the other – she’s sharp like that.

“I really like Kilguilkey as I’ve found my horses have confidence-building rounds there and I was happy with the ground at the weekend,” continued the 30-year-old. “Because of the changes to the Eventing Ireland MER criteria, I will probably bring them back to Kilguilkey later this month for the four-star-short and then do the three-star-long at Ballindenisk. As there are so few Advanced classes here, I might take them to England.”

Minty Imp was bred in Co Antrim by Catherine Carson and is the only progeny on the Irish Horse Register out of the unraced Florida Son mare Imperial Pint.

“My mother (Geraldine) saw an ad on Facebook for this six-year-old mare who had only been broken three or four months previously. When we went to see her, she reminded me of my Montekin mare Missey Elliot (the dam of Atlantic Rockstar) who I competed at the (2011) European Young Rider Championships. I really liked her from the moment I saw her. My mother wasn’t at Kilguilkey to see me win but my father Sam was as usual; he has travelled everywhere with me.”