Margie McLoone

THE honours were nicely spread in the under age classes at the Eventing Ireland National Championships in Ballindenisk last weekend with Co Cork’s Dara Kiernan landing the EI 100J crown on her mother Desdra’s nine-year-old Shannondale Sarco St Ghyvan gelding Fernhill Nearly Darc.

The combination completed on the 33.1 penalty score they received in the dressage arena on Saturday from Sue Stewart (C) and Vanda Robinson (E).

So too did the second and third-placed pairings of Jackilynn Breslin on RLE River Rock (34.6) and Daniel Barry on Rowanhill Master Clover (36.5).

As they were celebrating on Sunday, it was a disappointing afternoon for Co Meath’s Caoimhe Eivers who went into the show jumping phase in the lead having added just 0.4 of a cross-country time penalty to her winning dressage score of 30.6 with Stellor Kings Cruise. Sadly, the six-year-old Kings Master gelding lowered pole after pole for the addition of 28 penalties to drop right down the order.

There were three eliminations across the country in this 19-runner class.

ISHD Castaway fell with Shona Meagher at the Eventing Ireland water (12), Arianne Finlay, who was joint-second after dressage on 33.1, was eliminated when Very Special Z stopped three times at the Clippers Ireland water at three while Danielle Magner jumped the incorrect Coffee Express fence at five on Woodfield Boomerang.

COMBINATION

Not a single combination received the big E in the EI 100P championship, where just one of the 13 starters had a stop over the fixed fences.

The class was dominated by Co Laois rider Jennifer Kuehnle.

Riding the nine-year-old Welsh gelding Penyffynon Ricochet, Kuehnle landed the title on the winning dressage score of 23.9 she had been awarded on Saturday by Vida Tansey (C) and Marie Hennessy (E). For good measure, Kuehnle also finished second on her first phase score of 28.3 with the seven-year-old Holyoake Czar gelding Golden Grove Solitaire; both ponies are owned by the rider’s father Hans.

The addition of 2.8 cross-country time penalties proved costly for Sophie Foyle and Prince Robin who dropped to third on a total of 28.8.

Competitors in the EI 90P championship did not cope as well with their cross-country phase, as just half of the 14 starters came home without jumping penalties.

Two combinations were eliminated for falls. Michelle O’Driscoll’s decanting from Kingston David came at fence two (Berneys parallel) while, on board Parker Molloy, Sadie Keogh got as far as the Eventing Ireland water before departing the scene. Of the 11 who show jumped on Sunday, two retired during their rounds.

Four of the remaining nine had a fence down apiece. This did affect Noah Brown’s final position of fifth on Cherry Orchard Rico, who completed on 46.9, just below the Abbie Lucey-ridden Poulayone Eddie who finished the event on his dressage score of 43.5.

Happily, Brown’s four faults with Jimmy Thunderstruck weren’t as costly as the combination remained in third place although now on 39.3. In her first season eventing, well-known show pony rider Sadhbh Peelo Stassin finished a highly creditable second on her first phase score of 34.6 with Clonross Giselle.

Fortunately for Annalise Cullen, who topped the combined scores of Britain’s Judy Hancock (C) and Co Cork’s Marie Hennessy (E) after the dressage phase and was clear across the country, she had a fence in hand on AC Remus. The horse is jointly owned her mother Ann-Marie and Holmestead Saddlery’s Bill Holmes.

The 13-year-old Co Kildare rider needed it too, as the seven-year-old gelding had a pole down for a completion score of 33.6.